Naruto and the Staff of Wonder and Ruin 2
by lots-shadow
Summary: Join Naruto as he enters his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. How will he deal with the looming threat of Voldemort his Death Eaters and the Tri-Wizard Tournament putting his friends lives in danger.
1. Chapter 1

It was just another crisp August morning at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, the forbidden forest was silent still, the black lake was a smooth undisturbed mirror reflecting the clouds that lazily moved across the sky above, and a thin layer of fog could be seen hovering just about the school grounds. However, this scenic stillness was broken by the sudden eruption of a massive ball of fire just along shoreline of the lake.

"_Confringo_." Naruto called out as jabbed his wand forward and another eruption of flames shoot out of his wand as he blasted away another stone that laid on the shore of the lake.

"_Confringo_." Another blast of orange flames only this time almost twice the size as the last as Naruto pushed more of his magic into the spell.

"_Confringo_." Naruto called out again as he kept on wanted the spell to be bigger.

"_CONFRINGO_!" willing all his might into the spell work Naruto was pleased and amazed when he saw that not only was he able to leave a large crater in the ground, but that they flames of his spell had been blue and white instead of red and orange. However, before he could do anything else, he fell to his knees feeling exhausted from the spell.

"That was quite the spell work, might I suggest that next time to attempt to put that much force into it, try focusing not on the spell but on the thing your trying to hit." Came a calm voice form Naruto left and looking over his shoulder Naruto saw Albus Dumbledore walking up towards him.

"Oh, hey Albus." Naruto greeted as he stood up form his spot on the damp ground. "I'll have to give that try, so what up." Naruto said as he looked over at the lake and reset his wand back into the wrist holster, he had fashioned himself. In the past few months Naruto had been spending all his summer holiday looking for any spell that he felt could help him in the upcoming fight against Voldemort. Dumbledore for his part did try to talk him down, but once Naruto showed he had no sigh of doing so the old headmaster started to give the young blond tips to help him along.

"I must go speak with an old colleague of mine about the open Defense Against the Dark Arts post, and Molly Weasley had agreed to look after you for the time being." Dumbledore said as he waited for Naruto to collect his things and throw his orange jumper on today he was simply dressed in a blue t-shirt, blue jeans and black trainers.

"Hey that great, I'll get to see Ron's house finally." Naruto said happily and he followed behind the old headmaster as they started to walk down to the school's front gates. He had been keeping in touch with his Gryffindor friends during the summer holiday and he was aware that Harry and Hermione where staying at the Ron and Ginny's for the Quidditch world cup.

"So how are we going to get there? Floo." Naruto asked as he looked down the round that lead to Hogsmeade thinking that they would use the floo network.

"No, we will Apparate." Albus told him and seeing the look of confusion on the blonds face he elaborated on it some more.

"Apparition is a wizarding transportation. It is essentially the magical action of travelling by having the user focus on a desired location in their mind. After the user is properly focused, they then disappear from the current location and instantly reappear at the desired location. In short, Apparition is a form of teleportation. It is by far the fastest way to get to a desired destination but is tricky to pull off correctly and disastrous if botched." Dumbledore finished as stopped and held out his left arm for Naruto to hold on too. Naruto felt Dumbledore's arm twist away from him and re-doubled his grip: the next thing he knew everything went black; he was pressed very hard from all directions; he could not breathe, there were iron bands tightening around his chest; his eyeballs were being forced back into his head; his ear-drums were being pushed deeper into his skull.

"Yes it can be a strange feeling, one's first time." Dumbledore said from his side and looking up Naruto say that he wasn't standing outside of Hogwarts castle anymore.

"Wow." Was all Naruto could say as he looked up and saw his friends house. It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which, Naruto reminded himself, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, the burrow. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.

Just then the back door to the house opened revealing a woman who Naruto guessed was Ginny's mother. Mrs. Weasley was marching across the yard, scattering chickens, and for a short, plump, kind-faced woman

"Good morning Albus, and you must be Naruto." She said once he was standing right in front of them.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Naruto said as he smiled happily at her.

"I do hope this isn't an inconvenience on you Molly, but after Author's letter I think I need to have another word with Alastor." Dumbledore said.

"Not at all Albus, I expect the boys will be happy to see him after last night." Molly said as a look of worry passed across her face for a moment. And with that Dumbledore thanked her once for before instruction Naruto about his return to the castle. Before he walked out of the Weasley's yard and Apparated away.

"Well come along dear the others should be awake by now." Mrs. Weasley said as she started to lead Naruto back inside the house. followed her in Naruto got a look at the kitchen, it was small and rather cramped. There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle, and Naruto sat down on the edge of his seat, looking around. He had never been in a wizard house before. The clock on the wall opposite him had only one hand and no numbers at all. Written around the edge were things like Time to make tea, Time to feed the chickens, and You're late. Books were stacked three deep on the mantelpiece, books with titles like Charm Your Own Cheese, Enchantment in Baking, and One Minute Feasts — It's Magic! And unless Naruto's ears were deceiving him, the old radio next to the sink had just announced that coming up was

"Witching Hour, with the popular singing sorceress, Celestina Warbeck." Mrs. Weasley was clattering around, cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, as she threw sausages into the frying pan.

"Oh, Naruto you're here." Someone called out and looking over Naruto saw that two girls had appeared in the kitchen doorway. One, with very bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth, was His, Harry's and Ron's friend, Hermione Granger. The other, who was small and redhaired, was Ron's younger sister, Ginny. Both of them smiled at Naruto, who grinned back, which made Ginny and Hermione feel some heat rise to their faces.

"Hey Gin, Hey Mione." Naruto greeted as they sat down at the table. "Yeah Albus just dropped me off a few minutes ago." Naruto told them

"Naruto you really shouldn't call the headmaster by his first name." Hermione scolded her friend about his manners.

"I think it's funny, Naruto's the only one who does it, even McGonagall and Snape let him get away with it." said Ginny as they started to just then Mrs. Weasley came over and tapped tipping eight or nine sausages onto his plate then she added three fried eggs to his plate. She flicked her wand casually at the dishes in the sink, which began to clean themselves, clinking gently in the background.

"Wow, thanks Mrs. Weasley this looks great." Naruto said happily as he started to dig into his food. Hermione and Ginny where also served.

"So, Naruto dear, how is your holiday been for far?" Mrs. Weasley asked she only know the blond was a friend of her children, a Slytherin, and had been standing up for Xenophilius's daughter. Very quickly Naruto swallowed his food before answering.

"Great, I've been getting a lot of training done and Albus even comes around to give me some pointers, but it's still kind of weird walking around the empty castle. On the plus side I don't have to worry about Filch catching me at night. "Naruto's answer had several different reactions from each of them. Hermione looked worried about his continued training, Ginny looked envious at the freedom to do as he pleased, and Mrs. Weasley looked confused.

"Naruto, what do you mean by the castle being empty? Did your parents drop you off with Dumbledore?" Mrs. Weasley asked

"Oh, I live in the castle year-round so it's only me, Albus, and Hagrid till term starts up again." Naruto answered mater-o-fact tone. Ginny felt too awkward and embarrassed by her mother to elaborated and Naruto was to dens to realize why Mrs. Weasley still looked confused. So, it fell to Hermione to clear the air.

"Mrs. Weasley. . . Umm. . . Naruto is an orphan, so he lives at Hogwarts." Hermione said as he looked back and forth form Mrs. Weasley and Naruto, but Naruto didn't really mind if Mrs. Weasley know about his living arrangements or not. Just then two more people walked into the small kitchen.

"Well if it isn't our favorite lion-hearted snake." Said Fred Weasley as he looked over at his identical twin brother George Weasley. The twins hadn't changed much except maybe growing a few inches.

"Hey guys, did you get the supplies I sent you." Naruto greeted happily as the twins sat down at the table opposite Hermione and Ginny.

"You'll have to excuse are mother Naruto." Said Fred trying send Naruto a silent message about not mentioning anything.

"She's been rather tactless as of late." Said George as they bother looked at Mrs. Weasley who blushed with embarrassment and looked away from them.

"Oh, its ok really I can tell you Mrs. Weasley." Naruto said as he started to retell the story of how he came to be at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, at least the version of events he and Dumbledore had agreed on. By the time he was done telling his story Mrs. Weasley was almost to tears.

"Oh, bless that men it's a kind thing for Dumbledore to do, But." Mrs. Weasley was trying to find the right words.

"Why is he a Slytherin." Said Fred and George together already guessing what their mother was thinking.

"I want to be the best, Merlon was the most powerful wizard and he was a Slytherin so if I want to be better than him that's where I need to be. At least that was the forting hat thinks." Naruto told them as he finished his food and looked around at all of them. Anything else Mrs. Weasley might have wanted to say was cut short by the arrival of the last two teens missing from the kitchen.

"Harry, Ron looked who showed up." Ginny said as her brother and crush took their seat at the table.

"Hey Harry, Ron." Naruto greeted and Harry happily returned it, but Ron didn't really seem to want to talk to Naruto. After everyone was finished eating and Fred and George to into another argument with their mother. This time about them having Naruto help them with their Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Naruto, Harry and Ron edged out of the kitchen, and they, Hermione, and Ginny set off along the narrow hallway and up the rickety staircase that zigzagged through the house to the upper stories.

"Sounds like her Mother's not to happy about Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes" Said Naruto as they

climbed. Harry and Ginny both laughed, although Hermione didn't.

"How to _you_ know about that." Asked Ron looked suspiciously at Naruto. This time it was the blonds turn to let out a laugh.

"Fred and George sent me a flyer last month and I've been getting them some necessary ingredients from the potions class." Naruto told them.

"Naruto you really shouldn't be doing that what if Professor Snape catches you?" Hermione told him and air of disapproval in her voice

"Don't worry about it Mione, Severus isn't even in the castle right now." Naruto told her as he waved off her concern. As Harry, Hermione, and Ginny followed Ron up three more flights of stairs, shouts from the kitchen below echoed up to them. They climbed two more flights until they reached a door with peeling paint and a small plaque on it, saying ronald's room. Naruto stepped in, his head almost touching the sloping ceiling, and blinked. It was like walking into a furnace: Nearly everything in Ron's room seemed to be a violent shade of orange. Naruto instantly loved it the bedspread, the walls, even the ceiling. Then Naruto realized that Ron had covered nearly every inch of the shabby wallpaper with posters of the same seven witches and wizards, all wearing bright orange robes, carrying broomsticks, and waving energetically.

Ron's school spell books were stacked untidily in a corner, next to a pile of comics that all seemed to feature The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle. Ron's magic wand was lying on top of a fish tank on the windowsill contained one extremely large frog. there was the tiny gray owl was hopping up and down in a small cage and twittering madly.

"Shut up, Pig," said Ron, edging his way between two of the four beds that had been squeezed into the room.

"Fred and George are in here with us, because Bill and Charlie are in their room," Ginny told Naruto as she sat down on the edge of Ron's bed.

"So how was the Quidditch world cup?" Naruto asked after he moved away from the window and looked at everyone in the room. Naruto was caught off guard when everyone was no longer looking happy anymore but serious and tense.

"What's up?" Naruto asked not understanding the sudden change in the mood of the room


	2. Chapter 2

"WHAT!" Naruto couldn't believe what he had just been told last night Voldemort's former followers the _Death Eaters_ and shown up and started torturing Muggles and then Harry, Ron, and Hermione almost got blamed for casting the _Dark Mark_.

"Are you guys alright; did they end up catching any of the Death Eaters?" Naruto asked angry that his friends where endangered and he didn't even know about it. it was at this point that Ron let out a snort of skepticisms.

"Why don't you ask your pales, Snake." Ron spat as he stood up to his full height.

"What's that supposed to mean." Demanded Naruto as he also stood up to the redhead.

"Ron stop it." said Hermione

"Yeah don't be a prat." Ginny told her brother as she stared to get angry.

"You remember what Malfoy said his dad was probably out there in a mask." Ron said angrily

"What dose that have to do with me, I'm not Malfoy and I don't know what his dad is up to." Naruto said just as angry as Ron.

"Hey, look guys why don't we go back downstairs I think your mum is finished yelling at Fred and George. Harry quickly said as he tried to deescalate the situation.

"Fine." said Ron. The four of them left Ron's room and went back downstairs to find Mrs. Weasley and Albus Dumbledore sitting down at the small kitchen table.

"Albus your back already." Naruto greeted to old man.

"Ah, Naruto I hope your visit was enjoyable." Dumbledore said as he took a sip from his tie. Just then Naruto remember something form last year something that had been driving him to push himself to become stronger.

"Harry, I need to talk with you." Naruto said showing his rarely seen serious side to the dark-haired teen. It took Harry a moment to register what had happened but looking around the room he followed Naruto out of the kitchen and in to the Weasley's yard.

"What's going on Naruto." Harry asked once he had caught up with the blond teen.

"Have you been training." Naruto asked.

"Training? Training for what." Harry said not understand what the blond was talking about. At this Naruto let out an exasperated sigh.

"Harry, training for Voldemort's return. Remember Trelawney prediction, your dream, and now _Death Eaters._ Harry he's coming and you need to be ready." Naruto said urgently hopping his friend wound start to take things seriously.

"How do you know about my dream?" Harry asked the only one's he had told were Ron, Hermione and Sirius.

"Sirius told be about is in his last letter to me." Naruto said quickly as he looked back to the house making sure no one was coming out. He could see Hermione, Ron, and Ginny looking out at them from the window.

"Wait! you've been talking with Sirius?" Harry asked surprised.

"Well yeah, but that's not the point right now. Voldemort, Harry we need to be ready." Naruto finally said Harry had many questions but at that moment Dumbledore stepped out of the Weasley's house.

"I do believe it is time to return back to Hogwarts Naruto." The headmaster said

"I'll see you at the castle tomorrow alright, remember what I said." Naruto finished telling his friends as he followed the Dumbledore out of the Weasleys yard and then they apparated back to Hogwarts Castle. Once they had finally reached the entrance hall and Dumbledore had excused himself for the evening Naruto raced off to the library. The new school year was about to start tonight and Naruto only tonight to have full access. Naruto hadn't gotten back to the Slytherin common room until the early hours of the morning, but he was able to find what he needed. When he finally did wake up the rest of the school was due to arrive at any moment, so quickly changing in to his school robs he headed up to the Great hall.

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here.

"Hey guys." Naruto greeted as Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Slytherins table, the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Pearly white and semitransparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, but with a particularly large ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive, and insuring that his head didn't wobble too much on his partially severed neck."

"Uzumaki." Said a bored voice to his left and looking over Naruto saw Draco, Vincent, Gregory, Pansy, Daphne, Blaise, and Millicent taking their seats at the table.

"Hello Draco, hey you guys how was the train ride here." Naruto said as he stated talking with his housemates.

"Oh, don't get me started." Said Pansy as she began recounting her trip and the horrible weather. Naruto scanned the table as she spoke. Tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was sitting on a large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway gray hair. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. On Professor Sinistra's other side was the sallow-faced, hook-nosed, greasy-haired Potions master, and his head of house Severus Snape. On Snape's other side was an empty seat, which Naruto guessed was Professor McGonagall's. Next to it, and in the very center of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent deep green robes embroidered with many stars and moons. The tips of Dumbledore's long, thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through his half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought. Naruto glanced up at the ceiling too. It was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and he had never seen it look this stormy. Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightning flashed across it.

"And just look at me, I'm soaked to the bone." She finished telling him and looking round at all the other Slytherins Naruto saw that they where dripping wet. Just then the doors of the Great Hall opened, and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall. Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty, patched wizard's hat. The first years stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song:

"I really wish they didn't bother with that things singing every year. Said Blaise to which many of the Slytherins at the table agreed to.

"Dose it always need to sing?" Naruto asked as he remembered when the hat was put on his head last year.

"Yes every year is some new song." Millicent told him. just then The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished. Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment.

"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," she told the first years. "When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.

"Baddock, Malcolm!"

"SLYTHERIN!" Naruto along with the rest of the Slytherin table erupted into loud cheers. Naruto could see Fred and George Weasley hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down. As the rest of the sorting went on another name was soon called out.

"Pritchard, Graham!"

"SLYTHERIN!" the sorting hat said once more, and Naruto cheered along with his house as another first year joined his house. Finally after the last first year was sorted in to Hufflepuff Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away. Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome.

"I have only two words to say to you," he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. "Tuck in."

"Hear, hear!" said Crabbe and Goyle loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes. Naruto filled his plate and listened as Draco, and Blaise told him about there trip to the Quidditch World Cup.

"So, anything interesting happened." Naruto asked as he took a bite out of a roasted potato.

"Well father got a bit carried away with some of his friends after the match, had mother in a right state." Draco answered coolly. When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. "Now that we are all fed and watered,"

"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

Dumbledore went on, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy — but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts —"

But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Daphne gasped.

The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Naruto had ever seen. It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening.

One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye — and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness.

The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody." Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Harry saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"What's the Tri-Wizard." Naruto wondered out loud as he looked around his friends to which Draco gave him an exasperated look.


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto had spent a good part of the night talking with his friends as they all thought of ways to get around not being able to enter the Tri-Wizard. When Naruto finally did make it in to the Great Hall it's ceiling was still gloomy; heavy with clouds of pewter gray swirled overhead. He was happily munching away sat a piece of bacon, Yuna was doing the same, when Snape walked around and started to hand out the Slytherin's new course schedules.

"Not bad outside all morning," Naruto said to himself as he ran his finger down the Monday column of his schedule. "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures and Double Divination this afternoon." Naruto was happy to see that he was still taking his classes with the Gryffindors. There was a sudden rustling noise above them, and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail. Just then Draco Malfoy's eagle owl had landed on his shoulder, carrying what looked like his usual supply of sweets and cakes from home.

"Naruto keep an eye you're your cat." Draco warned as Yuna put her piece of bacon down and started to follow the owl's every move.

"Yuna, don't." Naruto simply said and the white cat simply turned around rubbing up against his shoulder before hopping off the Slytherin table. After breakfast Naruto good up and started to make his way out of the Great Hall but stopped when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"I believe this belongs to you." Said a light dreamy voice. "She's becoming rather lovely."

"Luna, hi who was your trip on the train? I hope she wasn't too much trouble for you." Naruto said as he looked a the blond Ravenclaw holding his cat. Luna had grown a few inched over the summer holiday her still had a dreamy look on her face and kept her wand tucked behind her ear.

"She no trouble at all Naruto. Father sends his regards, uneventful but Ginny kept me company." Luna said happily as they continued to make their way to the Entrance Hall.

"Has anybody been giving you trouble." Naruto asked her as he looked over at a grope of Ravenclaw girls that where looking at them.

"You shouldn't worry so much Naruto, the Nargles will find you irresistible if you do." Luna told him sing song voice as Yuna hopped out of her hand and headed down towards the dungeons. Naruto just flashed her a wide toothy grin that caused the heat to rise to her face.

"I'll keep that in mind, just let me know ok I don't want anything to happen to one of my precious people." Naruto told her as he exceeded himself and headed out of the castle towards the greenhouses. Luna was beside herself with joy that she didn't notice she was skipping to class.

Once he had arrived in greenhouse three, he took his spot with Harry, Ron, and Hermione

"Morning Guys." Naruto greeted before Professor Sprout started to show the class the ugliest plants Harry had ever seen. Indeed, they looked less like plants than thick, black, giant slugs, protruding vertically out of the soil. Each was squirming slightly and had a number of large, shiny swellings upon it, which appeared to be full of liquid.

"Bubotubers," Professor Sprout told them briskly. "They need squeezing. You will collect the pus —"

"The what?" said Seamus Finnigan, sounding revolted

"Pus, Finnigan, pus," said Professor Sprout, "and it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves; it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, bubotuber pus." Squeezing the bubotubers was disgusting, but oddly satisfying. As each swelling was popped, a large amount of thick yellowishgreen liquid burst forth, which smelled strongly of petrol. They caught it in the bottles as Professor Sprout had indicated, and by the end of the lesson had collected several pints.

"This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy," said Professor Sprout, stoppering the last bottle with a cork. "An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples."

A booming bell echoed from the castle across the wet grounds, signaling the end of the lesson, and the class separated; the Hufflepuffs climbing the stone steps for Transfiguration, and the Gryffindors plus one Slytherin heading in the other direction, down the sloping lawn toward Hagrid's small wooden cabin, which stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid was standing outside his hut, one hand on the collar of his enormous black boarhound, Fang. There were several open wooden crates on the ground at his feet, and Fang was whimpering and straining at his collar, apparently keen to investigate the contents more closely. As they drew nearer, an odd rattling noise reached their ears, punctuated by what sounded like minor explosions.

"Mornin'!" Hagrid said, grinning at Harry, Naruto, Ron, and Hermione. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this — Blast-Ended Skrewts!"

"Come again?" said Ron. Hagrid pointed down into the crates.

"Eurgh!" squealed Lavender Brown, jumping backward

"Eurgh" just about summed up the Blast-Ended Skrewts in Harry's opinion. They looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads. There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over one another, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes. They were giving off a very powerful smell of rotting fish. Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a skrewt, and with a small phut, it would be propelled forward several inches.

"On'y jus' hatched," said Hagrid proudly, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"

And why would we want to raise them?" said a cold voice. The Slytherins had arrived. The speaker was Draco Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle were chuckling appreciatively at his words. Hagrid looked stumped at the question.

"I mean, what do they do?" asked Malfoy. "What is the point of them?"

Hagrid opened his mouth, apparently thinking hard; there was a few seconds' pause, then he said roughly, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff 'rent things — I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'l lgo fer — I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake — just try 'em out with a bit of each."

Nothing but deep affection for Hagrid could have made Harry, Ron, and Hermione pick up squelchy handfuls of frog liver and lower them into the crates to tempt the Blast-Ended Skrewts. Harry couldn't suppress the suspicion that the whole thing was entirely pointless, because the skrewts didn't seem to have mouths.

"Eurgh!" said Lavender Brown again. "Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"

"Ah, some of 'em have got stings," said Hagrid enthusiastically (Lavender quickly withdrew her hand from the box). "I reckon they're the males. . . . The females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies. . . . I think they might be ter suck blood." After a disgusting and dangerous class Naruto was filled on the plight of the house elf's by Hermione as they made their way to the Great hall for lunch.

"That's horrible." Naruto said agreeing with. "Look we'll talk more ok I'll see you later ok." Naruto told her as he headed for the Slytherin table where he served himself large helpings of lamb shops and potatoes.

When the bell rang to signal the start of afternoon lessons, Naruto, Harry and Ron set off for North Tower where, at the top of a tightly spiraling staircase, a silver stepladder led to a circular trapdoor in the ceiling, and the room where Professor Trelawney lived. The familiar sweet perfume spreading from the fire met their nostrils as they emerged at the top of the stepladder. As ever, the curtains were all closed; the circular room was bathed in a dim reddish light cast by the many lamps, which were all draped with scarves and shawls. Harry and Ron walked through the mass of occupied chintz chairs and poufs that cluttered the room and sat down at the same small circular table.

"Good day," said the misty voice of Professor Trelawney right behind Harry, making him jump. A very thin woman with enormous glasses that made her eyes appear far too large for her face, Professor Trelawney was peering down at Harry with the tragic expression she always wore whenever she saw him. The usual large amount of beads, chains, and bangles glittered upon her person in the firelight.

"My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars," she said. "The movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance. Human destiny may be deciphered by the planetary rays, which intermingle . . ." Naruto, Ron, and Harry quickly took there seats and tried to drown out Trelawney as she went on about the planets.

"take your Potter clearly he was born under the baleful influence of Saturn." Said Professor Trelawney but when she looked over to Harry and found him almost dozing off Naruto had to fight back a laugh.

"Harry!" Ron muttered.

"What?" Harry looked around; the whole class was staring at him. He sat up straight; he had been almost dozing off, lost in the heat and his thoughts.

"I was saying, my dear, that you were clearly born under the baleful influence of Saturn," said Professor Trelawney, a faint note of resentment in her voice at the fact that he had obviously not been hanging on her words.

"Born under — what, sorry?" said Harry.

"Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn!" said Professor Trelawney, sounding definitely irritated that he wasn't riveted by this news. "I was saying that Saturn was surely in a position of power in the heavens at the moment of your birth. . . . Your dark hair . . . your mean stature . . . tragic losses so young in life . . . I think I am right in saying, my dear, that you were born in midwinter?"

"No," said Harry, "I was born in July." Ron hastily turned his laugh in to a hacking cough but Naruto wasn't so lucky as he started to laugh madly holding his sides in pain. Most unfortunately, Professor Trelawney heard him, and it was this, perhaps, that made her give them so much homework at the end of the class

"A detailed analysis of the way the planetary movements in the coming month will affect you, with reference to your personal chart," she snapped, sounding much more like Professor McGonagall than her usual airy-fairy self. "I want it ready to hand in next Monday, and no excuses!"

"Miserable old bat," said Ron bitterly as they joined the crowds descending the staircases back to the Great Hall and dinner. "That'll take all weekend, that will. . . "

"Sorry guys." Naruto apologized again. "It was just to funny."

"Don't worry about it Naruto." Harry told him but Ron still looked upset.  
"Lots of homework?" said Hermione brightly, catching up with them. "Professor Vector didn't give us any at all!"

"Well, bully for Professor Vector," said Ron moodily. They reached the entrance hall, which was packed with people queuing for dinner. They had just joined the end of the line, when a loud voice rang out behind them.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Naruto, Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing there, each looking thoroughly pleased about something.

"What?" said Ron shortly.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed entrance hall could hear. "Listen to this!

**FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC**

It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

Malfoy looked up.

"Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" he crowed. Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Malfoy straightened the paper with a flourish and read on. at lest he would have if the paper in his hand didn't suddenly burst in to blue flames. With a shout of surprise Draco dropped the flaming new paper.

"That's enough Draco, you've made your point." Every now looked over to see a very stone face Naruto his wand in hand. No one in the Entrance Hall moved as they looked on at the two Slytherins

"Remember where your loyalties lay Uzumaki." Malfoy said coolly. "It's us against them."

"I'm loyal to my friends Draco, all of them." Naruto said as he slowly put his wand down and turned his back to Draco. "Where friends too aren't, we Draco." Everyone watched and waited to see what would happen next Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at Naruto as if he had just grown a second head.

"Is he mad." Ron muttered to Harry, but Harry kept his hand ready on his wand incase things escalated, Hermione looked on anxiously

"Yes. . . yes we are." Draco finally said as he Crabbe and Goyle walked pass Naruto and headed into the Great Hall for dinner. The excitement over the rest of the student also stated to head into the Great Hall for dinner as well.

"Come one you guys, or their wont be any food left." Naruto said cheerfully as he gave them a toothy grin.


	4. Chapter 4

The next two days passed without great incident, unless you counted Neville melting his sixth cauldron in Potions. Professor Snape, who seemed to have attained new levels of vindictiveness over the summer, gave Neville detention

"Uzumaki, stay after class if finished I need a word with you." Snape said as he walked past the blond table where he and Hermione were partnered together. Naruto only nodded as his head of house walked away.

"Relax Hermione." Naruto said as he saw the worried look on his friend's face. "It's probably nothing." After the lesson and having finished putting his things away Naruto walked over to the front of the classroom and stood Infront of Snape's desk.

"It has come to my attention that several ingredients have gone missing form the potions stores over the summer holiday." Snape said as he looked down as Naruto. "You wouldn't have anything to do with this would you." Whatever excuse Snape was expecting to hear, the truth was never something he expected.

"Oh, yeah that was me I needed some things over the summer, so I helped myself." Naruto said it took Snape a moment to gather himself.

"And what make you think you can just walk in here and take what you want." Snape said angrily cl

"Well its was summer so school out, so I wasn't breaking any rules when I took the ingredients." Naruto said in a matter of fact tone. Snape was silently fuming at his response

"Get out." Snape finally said, "Get out of my sight." Naruto didn't need telling twice and he quickly exited the potions classroom and made his way up to the Great Hall. After lunch Naruto and the rest of the Gryffindors hurried to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. They hurried into three chairs right in front of the teacher's desk, took out their copies of _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection_, and waited, unusually quiet. Soon they heard Moody's distinctive clunking footsteps coming down the corridor, and he entered the room, looking as strange and frightening as ever. They could just see his clawed, wooden foot protruding from underneath his robes.

"You can put those away," he growled, stumping over to his desk and sitting down, "those books. You won't need them." They returned the books to their bags, Ron looking excited. Moody took out a register, shook his long mane of grizzled gray hair out of his twisted and scarred face, and began to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swiveled around, fixing upon each student as he or she answered.

"Right then," he said, when the last person had declared themselves present, "I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures — you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?" There was a general murmur of assent.

"But you're behind — very behind — on dealing with curses," said Moody. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal

with Dark —"

"What, aren't you staying?" Ron blurted out. Moody's magical eye spun around to stare at Ron; Ron looked extremely apprehensive,

"Special favor to Dumbledore. . . . One year, and then back to my quiet retirement." He gave a harsh laugh, and then clapped his gnarled hands together.

"So — straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you counter curses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then. But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."

Lavender jumped and blushed. She had been showing Parvati her completed horoscope under the desk. Apparently Moody's magical eye could see through solid wood, as well as out of the back of his head.

"So . . . do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?" Several hands rose tentatively into the air, including Ron's and Hermione's. Moody pointed at Ron, though his magical eye was still fixed on Lavender.

"Er," said Ron tentatively, "my dad told me about one. . . . Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?"

"Ah, yes," said Moody appreciatively. "Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble. Then Moody reached into his desk and pulled out a jar of spiders. Taking one in his hand as he pulled out his wand

"_imperio."_ Moody called out The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of itshind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance. Everyone was laughing — everyone except Moody.

"Think it's funny, do you?" he growled. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?" The laughter died away almost instantly. "Total control," said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over.

"I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats . . ." "The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked, and everyone jumped.

"Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?" Moody asked as he looked around the room.

"There's one — the Cruciatus Curse," said Neville in a small but distinct voice. Moody was looking very intently at Neville, this time with both eyes.

"Crucio." Called out Mood as he pointed at another spider. At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it, but Harry was sure that if it could have given voice, it would have been screaming. Moody did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently —

"Stop it!" Hermione said shrilly and looking around Naruto looked around and saw that it was Neville and not the spider she was talking about. Neville hand her clenched upon the desk in front of him his knuckles white his eyes wide and horrified.

"Pain," said Moody softly. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse. . . . That one was very popular once too. "Right anyone know any others?" Hermione's hand shook slightly as for the third time she raised it into the air.

"Avada Kedavra," Hermione whispered. Several people looked uneasily around at her, including Ron.

"Ah," said Moody, another slight smile twisting his lopsided mouth. "Yes, the last and worst. Avada Kedavra . . . the Killing Curse." He put his hand into the glass jar, and almost as though it knew what was coming, the third spider scuttled frantically around the bottom of the jar, trying to evade Moody's fingers, but he trapped it, and placed it upon the desktop. It started to scuttle frantically across the wooden surface. Moody raised his wand, and Naruto felt a sudden thrill of foreboding.

"Avada Kedavra!" Moody roared. There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound, as though a vast, invisible something was soaring through the air — instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead.

"Not nice," he said calmly. "Not pleasant. And there's no counter curse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me." Naruto looked over at Harry just like the rest of the class. _"That must have been what killed his parents."_ Naruto thought to himself.

"Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it — you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it.

"Now, if there's no countercurse, why am I showing you? Because you've got to know. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he roared, and the whole class jumped again.

"Now . . . those three curses — Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus — are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vigilance. Get out your quills . . . copy this down. . . ."

They spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses. No one spoke until the bell rang. As everyone left the lesson they were all discussing the curses, but Hermione had hurried them along so that they could catch up with Neville Longbottom. Neville seemed to be really bothered by the lesson Naruto thought, but before they could talk more Professor Moody walked up behind them

"It's all right, sonny," he said to Neville. "Why don't you come up to my office? Come on . . . we can have a cup of tea. . . ." Neville looked even more frightened at the prospect of tea with Moody. He neither moved nor spoke. Moody turned his magical eye upon Harry.

"You all right, are you, Potter?"

"Yes," said Harry, almost defiantly. Moody's blue eye quivered slightly in its socket as it surveyed Harry. Then he said,

"You've got to know. It seems harsh, maybe but you've got to know. No point pretending . . . well . . . come on, Longbottom, I've got some books that might interest you."

""Some lesson, though, eh?" said Ron to Harry as they set off for the Great Hall. "Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did Avada Kedavra, the way that spider just died, just snuffed it right —"

"Ron." Naruto said as he pointed out the look on Harry's face Ron fell suddenly silent and didn't speak again until they reached the Great Hall, At dinner they when the separate ways and Naruto headed over to the Slytherin table.

"Hey Pansy, Millicent, Daphne." Naruto said as she sat down and greeted the three girls.

"Hello Naruto, how was your day." asked Pansy

"Not to bad Had my first class with Moody today." Naruto told the as he stated to serve himself food

"Really how was it." asked Millicent excitedly. "Is he any good."

"Oh, it's interesting." Naruto told them and then he went into detail about his first class with Moody.

"He just cast the _Unforgivables_, right in the middle of the classroom." Daphne said surprised

"Yeah he said Dumbledore was okay with it." Naruto told them this caused the Slytherins who were now listening in to the conversation take a second look at the old headmaster. After Dinner Naruto went back to his common room found an empty table and taking out his copy of _Unfogging the Future_ and stated to get to work on his homework. After an hour Naruto had finished his work he decided to go to his dorm and get ready for bed. he was the only one in the room which was a good thing because atop his bed was a letter, walking over and opening it up Naruto saw that it was from Sirius.

_Naruto-_

_I'm Flying north immediately. They're saying Dumbledore has Mad-eye out of retirement, and with the news about Harry's scar. Keep your eyes open and on Harry I'll be in touch soon._ _I'm making my way from Albania_

_Sirius._

"Looks like things are about to get a more interesting around here." Naruto said to himself. for a long time Naruto lay staring up at the dark canopy of his bed, the dormitory was completely silent. As he went over the mental check list of all the spells and curses he had mastered and the different situations in which he would need them.

"I should write Sirius tomorrow." Naruto finally told himself as he drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Early the next morning, Naruto woke with a plan he got up, dressed in the pale dawn light, left the dormitory without waking Ron, and went back down to the deserted common room. Here he took a piece of parchment from the table that where someone's homework still lay unfinished.

_ Dear Sirius,_

_ Got letter, consider it done I'll keep an eye on him till you get back. See you soon._

_ Naruto_

With his letter finished he headed out of the common room and stated out of the dungeons and through the silent castle. Till he finally reached the Owlery which was situated at the top of the West Tower. The Owlery was a circular stone room, rather cold and drafty, because none of the windows had glass in them. The floor was entirely covered in straw, owl droppings, and the regurgitated skeletons of mice and voles. Hundreds upon hundreds of owls of every breed imaginable were nestled here on perches that rose right up to the top of the tower, nearly all of them asleep, though here and there a round amber eye watched at Naruto. He spotted Hedwig, Harry's snowy white owl. nestled between a barn owl and a tawny, and hurried over to her, sliding a little on the dropping-strewn floor.

Naruto was finally able to persuade on of the barn owls sleeping next to Hedwig to wake up and take his letter.

"I need you to find Sirius Black, he should be come back to England from the east." Naruto told the owl as it took off from one of the open windows. Just then the sound got his attention and turning around Naruto saw that it was Harry.

"Hey, good morning Harry." Naruto said as he saw the surprised looked on his friends' face.

"Naruto what are your doing here?" Harry asked as he walk in to the owlery.

"Oh, I'm just writing back to Sirius he sent be a letter last night." Naruto answered

"What, Sirius wrote you last night, why? about what." Harry demanded as his worry for his godfather.

"he was just letting me know he was coming back to England from Albania." Naruto told his worried friend.

"He's in Albania." Asked Harry "He's never told me where he is hiding." Quickly Naruto told everything about his letter and Harry told Naruto about the letter he got from Sirius.

"I don't get it what's the problem.' Naruto asked.

"It's made him think he's got to come back!" said Harry, now angry. "Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me!" Harry said

"Harry Sirius is just worried about you, that his job as your godfather." Naruto told his friend but Harry didn't want to listen as he got Hedwig to take his letter. Once that was don't they both headed down to breakfast where Naruto joined them at the Gryffindor table seeing that it was so early at most of the table were still empty.

"That was a lie, Harry," said Hermione sharply over breakfast, when he told her and Ron what he had done. "You didn't imagine your scar hurting and you know it."

"So what?" said Harry. "He's not going back to Azkaban because of me."

"Drop it," said Ron sharply to Hermione as she opened her mouth to argue some more, and for once, Hermione heeded him, and fell silent Naruto thought that Hermione was right. As the days passed Naruto fell stayed focused on his classes but he could see how anxiously Harry would watch the morning owls in the hopes that Sirius would have answered him back. On one particular day of Moody's defense Against the Dark Arts lesson they where all informed to their surprise Professor Moody had announced that he would be putting the Imperius Curse on each of them in turn, to demonstrate its power and to see whether they could resist its effects.

"But — but you said it's illegal, Professor," said Hermione uncertainly as Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room. "You said — to use it against another human was —"

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," said Moody, is magical eye swiveling onto Hermione and fixing her with an eerie, unblinking stare.

"If you'd rather learn the hard way — when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely — fine by me. You're excused. Off you go." He pointed one gnarled finger toward the door. Hermione went very pink and muttered something about not meaning that she wanted to leave. Harry, Naruto, and Ron grinned at each other. They knew Hermione would rather eat bubotuber pus than miss such an important lesson.

Moody began to beckon students forward in turn and put the Imperius Curse upon them. Harry watched as, one by one, his classmates did the most extraordinary things under its influence. Dean Thomas hopped three times around the room, singing the national anthem. Lavender Brown imitated a vsquirrel. Neville performed a series of quite astonishing gymnastics he would certainly not have been capable of in his normal state. Not one of them seemed to be able to fight off the curse, and each of them recovered only when Moody had removed it.

"Potter," Moody growled, "you next." the next thing that happened Naruto watched as Harry tried to both jump and prevent himself from jumping. The result was that he smashed headlong into the desk, knocking it over.

"Now, that's more like it!" growled Moody's voice "Look at that, you lot . . . Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it! We'll try that again, Potter, and the rest of you, pay attention — watch his eyes, that's where you see it — very good, Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling you!" Naruto and the rest of the class look as Moody insisted on putting Harry though his paces four more times in a row until he was able to throw off the curse entirely.

"Uzumaki lets go." Moody growled and just like with everyone else he raised his wand and cast the cures. At lest that what Naruto thought was supposed to happened as he looked on awkwardly at Professor Moody waiting for him to cast the spell.

"Imperio!" Moody said an suddenly Naruto was hit with the strangest felling like a great pressure was being placed on his body.

"IMPERIO!." Moody called out again this time Naruto felt a greater for on his head that he needed to clench his jaw to keep from yelling in pain.

IMPERIO! IMPERIO!" By this point Professor Moody was shouting out the spell at the top of his lungs as he put a great deal of effort into the spell. Naruto was really struggling to stay standing up right as he hands were balled in to fist to tight trickles of blood where seeping through his fingers.  
"Professor Moody, stop it." cried out Hermione as she looked on horror at the pain her friends was in.

"IMPER-" Moody began to say again but was stopped "Enough!" Naruto shouted in a deep almost animalistic growl as his magic flared uncontrollably and pushed Moody back a few feet. The effect of the spell and the strain of his magical outburst was too much, and he drooped to his knees felling as if he had just sprinted a mile.

"I don't believe it." Moddy said sounding excited completely ignoring the condition he had left his student in. . "Uzumaki, my boy your immune." Every in the class looked at Naruto in amazement.

"In all my time I have never, never has there been of a person who could not be affected by Imperio." Moody said. And with that the lesson continued and called on the nest person.

"Naruto are you alright." Hermione asked as she, Harry and Ron rushed over to the blonds side, the rest of the class here looking at him strangely.

"I'm fine." Naruto told them. "I just need a minute to catch my breath."

"But your hands, your bleeding you need to go to the hospital wing." Hermione told him, but Naruto just held up his hand to show her they were fine.

"See nothing to worry about. Naruto said as he stood up and moved to stand with Ron and Harry for the remainder of the lesson.

"The way he talks," Harry muttered as he hobbled out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class an hour later "you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second."

"Yeah, I know," said Ron, who was skipping on every alternate step. He had had much more difficulty with throwing off the curse. "Talk about paranoid . . ." Ron glanced nervously over his shoulder to check that Moody was definitely out of earshot.

"Well Naruto didn't have any problem with the curse." Hermione said as the moved though the corridor. Harry and Ron didn't say anything about this, and Naruto was glad he had enough to think about at the moment. All the fourth years had noticed a definite increase in the amount of work they were required to do this term. Professor McGonagall explained why, when the class gave a particularly loud groan at the amount of Transfiguration homework she had assigned.

"You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education!" she told them, her eyes glinting dangerously behind her square spectacles. "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer —"

"We don't take O.W.L.s till fifth year!" said Dean Thomas indignantly.

"Maybe not, Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! Miss Granger remains the only person in this class who has managed to turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion. I might remind you that your pincushion, Thomas, still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin. The only student who comes close is Mr. Uzumaki!" Hermione, who had turned rather pink again, seemed to be trying not to look too pleased with herself. Naruto on the other hand looked very pleased.

Meanwhile Professor Binns, the ghost who taught History of Magic, had them writing weekly essays on the goblin rebellions of the eighteenth century. Professor Snape was forcing them to research antidotes. They took this one seriously, as he had hinted that he might be poisoning one of them before Christmas to see if their antidote worked. Professor Flitwick had asked them to read three extra books in preparation for their lesson on Summoning Charms. Even Hagrid was adding to their workload. The Blast-Ended Skrewts were growing at a remarkable pace given that nobody had yet discovered what they ate. Hagrid was delighted, and as part of their "project," suggested that they come down to his hut on alternate evenings to observe the skrewts and make notes on their extraordinary behavior.

"I will not," said Draco Malfoy flatly when Hagrid had proposed this with the air of Father Christmas pulling an extra-large toy out of his sack. "I see enough of these foul things during lessons, thanks."

"Yeh'll do wha' yer told," he growled. When they arrived in the entrance hall, they found themselves unable to proceed owing to the large crowd of students congregated there, all milling around a large sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase. Ron, the tallest of the three, stood on tiptoe to see over the heads in front of them and read the sign aloud to the other two:

**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

_The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o'clock on Friday the 30th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early —Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast._

"Brilliant!" said Harry. "It's Potions last thing on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!"

"Only a week away!" said Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff, emerging from the crowd,

The appearance of the sign in the entrance hall had a marked effect upon the inhabitants of the castle. During the following week, there seemed to be only one topic of conversation, no matter where went the Triwizard Tournament. Rumors were flying from student to student like highly contagious germs: who was going to try for Hogwarts champion, what the tournament would involve, how the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differed from themselves.

Naruto noticed too that the castle seemed to be undergoing an extra-thorough cleaning. Several grimy portraits had been scrubbed, much to the displeasure of their subjects, who sat huddled in their frames muttering darkly and wincing as they felt their raw pink faces. The suits of armor were suddenly gleaming and moving without squeaking, and Argus Filch, the caretaker, was behaving so ferociously to any students who forgot to wipe their shoes that he terrified a pair of first-year girls into hysterics. Other members of the staff seemed oddly tense too.

"Longbottom, kindly do not reveal that you can't even perform a simple Switching Spell in front of anyone from Durmstrang!" Professor McGonagall barked at the end of one particularly difficult lesson, during which Neville had accidentally transplanted his own ears onto a cactus. But the thing that was really occupying his mind most of the time now was the fact that his birthday was only a week away.


	6. Chapter 6

Today was the day, as Naruto lay in his bed looking up at the dark canopy the light snoring all around him let him know that he was the only one awake. The was October the tenth and he was now officially fourteen years old.

"Two years. . . wow." Naruto said to himself in the stillness of the early morning. It has been two years now that he has been living in this world of magic. Two years of real food, clothes, and friends. Of course, he missed Iruka and the old Hokage, and the ramen stand, but here their where no dirty looks or hateful whispers following him everywhere, he went. He had had friends' people his age who were happy to see him and talk to him. Some habits whoever died hard as he quickly and silently got dressed and leaving his dormitory he moved through the empty Slytherin common room and out to the castle above.

"Still early." Naruto said as he looked around the Entrance Hall after leaving the dungeons and noticing the torches on the walls were still light. With no chance of getting breakfast anytime soon he decided to head for the school grounds instead.

_"meow" _

Looking round to the noise Naruto say the green and blue eyes of his cat looking up at him.

'Morning girl." Naruto as he looked down at his cat. "Go back to bed, ok I'll see you later. "Naruto said as he pushed the double doors open and stated to step outside. Yuna quickly made to follow him.

"No, sorry girl, but you can't come along this time." Naruto told the cat as he closed the doors and walked out on to the castle. The outside sky was just starting to change from deep purple to orange and red and the soon was starting to rise. A thin layer of fog was hanging above the castle lawn as Naruto stated to walked towards Hagrid's hut. He didn't really know why he was out here, but he just felt like he need sometime away from everyone.

"Even Hagrid's still sleeping." Naruto said to himself as he walked pass the hut and heard thundering snoring. Walking past the hut Naruto moved along the tree line and started to head into the forbidden forest. He knew this wasn't necessary, hiding out in the forest like all his past birthdays he was just being stupid, but it wasn't fear of an angry mob that drove him away from the castle. It was guilt that sinking felling at the pit of his stomach that left a sour taste in his mouth.

"It's not like I was really wanted there anyway." Naruto told himself as he moved through the trees no real direction in mind.

"I'm not a bad person for not wanting to go back." Then a thought came to mind.

_**Aw, but you are a Slytherin for a reason **_

A small voice said in the back of his mind and that brought up another problem Naruto was trying to not think about. After the end of last year when he was in the middle of his training, he started to do some looking into Voldemort and his forced. They were all Slytherins and their kids just happened to be his housemates

Not only that Naruto seemed to be the only Slytherin the school didn't think was a evil git. All of last year and this on so far Naruto had to deal with older Slytherin's still picking on other students.

"At least I don't have to worry about most of them." he thought as a good portion of Slytherin house had come to an unspoken understand that as long as he was around, he would not tolerate any kind of bullying.

_**still think you're the good guy, you're just a Death Eater in waiting. . . Slytherin**_

This time the voice was much lower, and Naruto got a uneasy felling as he quickly looked around wonder felling as if he was being watched.

"Your wrong I'm nothing like them." Naruto called out defiantly. He waited for a long time, but an answer never came. He looked around and saw that he had managed to find himself in a large clearing with a large fallen tree he walked over to and sat down on. He didn't know how long he ended up sitting there but the sudden sound of something moving in the underbrush of the forest brought his attention back to his surroundings.

"Yuna!?" Naruto was surprise to see his cat, but that wasn't the only thing moving through the forest.

"Luna! what are you doing here?" Naruto didn't understand why his cat and is Ravenclaw friend were in the forest.

"Naruto your alright." Called out Luna sounding very relived as she rushed over and throw her arms around him. Naruto was thrown of guard not really knowing how to respond to this new development, but after a moment Luna let him go after realizing just how close she was with him.

"Luna what are you doing out here?" Naruto asked the now red face girl who had gone a few steps back from him.

"Naruto, what are _you_ doing out here. Everyone looking for you up at the castle." Luna told him before she stated to explain how now know had seen him a breakfast or in class or even at lunch.

"I'm sorry if I worried everyone." Naruto said as he looked up at the sky realizing just how long he had been in the forbidden forest. "but how did you find me?" Naruto asked her as he sat back down on the fallen tree and offered Luna the spot next to him, which he happily and nervously took.

"that was easy Yuna came straight to me after lunch, she was very worried." And looking down Naruto saw Yuna was rubbing her body against his leg affectionately. "So, I followed her all the way here. So why did you come all the way out here on your birthday" Luna told him as the worried looked was gone from her face replaced with her trademark dreamy one.

"How did you know it was my birthday?" Naruto asked her as he tried to remember if he had ever told her when his birthday was.

"I asked Ginny, who found out from Hermione." Naruto was surprised to learn his other friends know when his birthday was, at that moment his hand moved to his neck where he had on his butterbeer cork neckless a Christmas gift form Luna. This didn't go unnoticed by the blond Ravenclaw who smiled.

"Right. . . I just wanted to be out of the castle for a bit." Naruto said as he looked off into the forest, he didn't really not to talk about but lucky for him Luna didn't press the matter any farther.

"Well I think you shouldn't worry so much on your birthday." Luna said, "That's why you would come al the way out here if your worried." This caught Naruto by surprise.

"What makes you think that." Naruto said

"It's obvious to your friends, you're always going around the castle trying to stop anyone from bullying, not to mentions your training more the usual." Luna told him in her dreamy voice he couldn't help finding relaxing.

"I didn't think anyone would be so worried about me." Naruto said with a sad smile "back home no one ever really care that much." Naruto told Luna as he looked over at her a genuine smile on his face.

"You mean at the muggle orphanage?" Luna asked.

"_That's right Luna doesn't know the truth."_ Naruto thought "Actually Luna that's not entirely true." And Naruto told Luna the whole truth about who he really was. From his early childhood, living alone in a village of hate, and his time at the ninja academy. He didn't know why but he ended up telling Luna more then he ever told anyone about his old life, even Dumbledore didn't know as much as he told her. He talked and talked, and Luna just sat by him listening intently to every word he said.

"Naruto that sounds awful, it's amazing you're the person you are, and I don't think you're going to end up like most Slytherins." Luna said after spending a few minutes silently thinking over everything he was just told. Naruto was happy to hear she didn't think him evil.

"Naruto you told me a secret with me, I only thinks is fare I do the same." Luna said as she pushed her hair away form her face and stared up at the blond determinedly.

"Luna you don't have to-"but whatever Naruto was going to say next was cut off by pair of soft small lips being pressed against his. Bugeyes with shock Naruto just sat there as not sure what to do as Luna Lovegood kissed him. Quickly moving pass the shock Naruto leaned in to the kiss much to the pleasure of Luna, soon they had to brake apart to come up for air.  
"Wow, that was." Naruto started to say. "Yes it was very nice." Luna finished saying as he smiled her dreamy smile at him and Naruto couldn't help but give off a foxy grin at her.

"I really do like you Naruto and I wanted to tell you that for your birthday." Luna explained to him.

"But why would you like me?" Naruto asked not expecting any girl to every think of him that way.

"Well I stated feel something for you the day you stood up for me and Ginny last year." Luna told him and Naruto remembered how she was being picked on and then her bullies turned on Ginny till he stepped in

"But then you wanted to be my friend and you always looked out for me, I think it was after Christmas that I really stated to like you." Luna told him as she thought back on the memory.

"Christmas all I got you was a scarf." Naruto explained wondering if giving a scarf was such a big deal.

"No, it wasn't what you gave me, but it's about what I gave you remember." Luna told him. "Oh, you mean your neckless." Naruto said as he reached down the neck of his shirt and pulled out the butterbeer cork neckless.

"Yes, you kept it, not only that you don't think I'm loony like most people do. I know this is sudden and you might not feel the same way, but I don't think I could wait any longer to tell you. When we couldn't find you, I stated to worry if something happened to you and that I might not ever get a chance to tell you how I fell." Luna finished saying as she stated to get up and walked away, but Naruto reached a handout and stopped her from leaving.

"Wait Luna. . . I never really had someone tell me these things before, and I don't. . . if I really understand how I truly feel. . . but. . . I think I feel something too. . . I mean for you." Naruto finished telling her as he stood up and interlocked his fingers with hers as he held on to her hand.

"I'll help you figure it out." Luna said as they stated to walked back to the castle hand in hand, both smiling there faces red and Yuna not too far behind.

"_This has to be the best birthday I ever had." _Naruto thought to himself happily as he looked sideways at Luna who was smiling.

When Naruto and Luna went into the Great hall for breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, they found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin. Behind the teachers' table, the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H.

"They really want to put on their best face." Luna said as they took there seats at the fare end of the Slytherin table they had received many strange looks the on the Eleventh of October when they called in to the Great Hall holding hand, so they decided to show up early so that they could eat together before most of the school showed up. It didn't take Naruto long to get over the fact that people knew he was dating Luna Lovegood and Lune didn't seem to care either way.

"So, how's your day looking." Naruto asked as he stated to serve himself food.

"Oh, ill be outside all day. and you?" she asked, "inside mostly not too bad." Naruto told her as they stated to eat their food. They ate in comfortable silence as most of the school arrived, luckily no one at the Slytherin table gave Naruto any problems about Luna sitting at their table. One reason was because she was a pureblood the other was Naruto himself.

"Morning Uzumaki, Lovegood." Said Draco as he walked pass them

"Good morning Draco." Luna said, "Hey Draco." Said Naruto

"There getting better at not staring." Luna pointed out as most people of the Slytherins didn't bother to look at them anymore.

"Yeah." Naruto started to say when the sudden whooshing noise from overhead drowned out his next few words, the owl post had arrived. Naruto looked up and at once saw Hedwig, Harry's snowy white owl, soring towards him. Luna watched as Hedwig fluttered down on to Naruto's shoulder, folder her wings, and held out her leg wearily.

"Isn't that Harry's owl." Luna asked with mild curiosity,  
"Yeah, I some time use her to send letters." Naruto told her as he took the letter addressed to him, her job done he took off and went over to Harry at the Gryffindor table who was looking over at him strangely. Looking at Sirius's letter he opened it wonder if anything was wrong.

_Dear Naruto, _

_Happy late birthday, I'm back in the country and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts, that Harry might not want me to know about. See you soon _

_Sirius_

"Who was the letter from." Luna asked as she watched Harry, Ron, and Hermione huddle together as they read the other letter.

"Sirius Black." Naruto said without thinking as he took a bite out of some eggs which he stopped eating mid chow when he realized what he had just said out loud in front of his girlfriend.


	7. Chapter 7

As Naruto took his seat next to Hermione only just making it to class, he let out a sigh of relief he had spent the better part of lunch explaining to Luna his association with the mass-murder Sirius Black. To his surprise Luna had completely understood and believed in Sirius's innocence.

"Naruto, I didn't think you'd make it on time." Hermione said as she looked over at the clock on the wall.

"Yeah sorry I was talking with Luna." Naruto said sheepishly at this Hermione gave him a warm smile.

"How is Luna? Ginny tells me she's been a lot happier lately." Hermione asked enjoying the sudden bashfulness taking over the normally boisterous blond.

"Oh, Luan yeah she's great not that she wasn't before, I mean." Naruto quickly said as decided to focus on the side of the room

"I happy for the both of you, I really when you two came out of the forest that day Ginny and me knew she must have finally told you." Hermione said and this was a surprise to Naruto

"Wait! you guys knew she liked me?" Naruto asked Hermione at this she gave him a look like it was the most obvious thing in the world. There was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air that day. Nobody was very attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival that evening of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang; even Potions was more bearable than usual, as it was half an hour shorter. When the bell rang early, Naruto hurried down to the Slytherin common room, deposited his bag and books as he had been instructed, pulled on his cloaks, and rushed back upstairs into the entrance hall.

The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines. "Crabbe, straighten your hat," Professor Snape snapped as he moved through his students

"Follow me." Said Professor Snape. "First years in the front." They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling, and a pale, transparent looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. Naruto, standing between Draco and Pansy in the fourth row from the front.

"Nearly six," said Ron, checking his watch and then staring down the drive that led to the front gates. "I wonder how they will get here?"

"I doubt it," said Pansy.

"How, then? Broomsticks?" Naruto suggested, looking up at the starry sky. Just then Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers —

"Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.

"There!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest. Something large, much larger than a broomstick — or, indeed, a hundred broomsticks — was hurtling across the deep blue sky toward the castle, growing larger all the time.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.

"Don't be stupid . . . it's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey. Dennis's guess was closer. . . . As the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.

The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed —then, with an almighty crash that made Neville jump backward onto a Slytherin fifth year's foot, the horses' hooves, larger than dinner plates, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes. Naruto just had time to see that the door of the carriage bore coat of arms (two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars) before it opened.

A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully. Then Naruto saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage — a shoe the size of a child's sled — followed, almost immediately, by the largest woman he had ever seen in his life. The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped.

Naruto had only ever seen one person as large as this woman in his life, and that was Hagrid; he doubted whether there was an inch difference in their heights. Yet somehow — maybe simply because he was used to Hagrid — this woman (now at the foot of the steps, and looking around at the waiting, wide-eyed crowd) seemed even more unnaturally large. As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face; large, black, liquid-looking eyes; and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.

Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe, the better to look at this woman. Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.

"My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.

"My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her. Naruto, whose attention had been focused completely upon Madame Maxime, now noticed that about a dozen boys and girls, all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks. A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads. From what Naruto could see of them (they were standing in Madame Maxime's enormous shadow), they were staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.

" 'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.

"He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But ze 'orses —"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other — er — charges."

"My steeds require — er — forceful 'andling," said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. "Zey are very strong. . . ."

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling.

"Very well," said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing.

"Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps. They stood, shivering slightly now, waiting for the Durmstrang party to arrive. Most people were gazing hopefully up at the sky. For a few minutes, the silence was broken only by Madame Maxime's huge horses snorting and stamping. But then —

"Can you hear something?" said Draco suddenly. Naruto listened; a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed. . . .

"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"

From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water — except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks — and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake's floor. . . .

What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool . . . and then Naruto saw the rigging. . . . "It's a mast!" he said to Draco and Pansy.

Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.

People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. All of them, Naruto noticed, seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle . . . but then, as they drew nearer, walking up the lawns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, he saw that their bulk was really due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope.

"How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied. Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice; when he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle they saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee (finishing in a small curl) did not entirely hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.

"Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, and Harry noticed that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd.

"How good it is to be here, how good. . . . Viktor, come along, into the warmth . . . you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold. . . ." Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. As the boy passed, Naruto caught a glimpse of a prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He must have been some kind of a big deal because everyone around him stated to bake in to rushed whispers.

"Millicent look is Victor Krum." Naruto herd Pansy explore excitedly.

"I don't believe it!" Millicent said, in a stunned voice, as the Hogwarts students filed back up the steps behind the party from Durmstrang. As they recrossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students heading for the Great Hall, Naruto saw Ron jumping up and down on the soles of his feet to get a better look at the back of Krum's head. Several sixth-year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked —

"Oh I don't believe it, I haven't got a single quill on me —"

"D'you think he'd sign my hat in lipstick?"

"Everyone seems to be very excited don't they." Said a dreamy sing song voice form behind him that brought a smile to his face.

"Hey Luna, how was class." Naruto asked

"Oh, I told Professor Flitwick that there were several Nargles flying around his head. He deducted Ravenclaw five points" Luna told him "I see you after dinner."

"alright see you soon." Naruto told her as he watched her skip along to the Ravenclaw table.


	8. Chapter 8

Finding an open seat at the Slytherin table Naruto looked around at all the Durmstrang students that were pulling off their heavy furs and looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest; a couple of them were picking up the golden plates and goblets and examining them, apparently impressed. Up at the staff table, Filch, the caretaker, was adding chairs. He was wearing his moldy old tailcoat in honor of the occasion. Naruto was surprised to see that he added four chairs, two on either side of Dumbledore's.

Over by the students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads. He could see a thin blond girl sitting next to Luna.

"Uzumaki. . . Naruto." Looking around Naruto saw that it was Draco who had been trying to get his attention.

"Hu? Oh, what's up Draco." Naruto asked as he turned around in his seat to face his friends

"Naruto this is Victor Krum, Victor this is Naruto Uzumaki the black sheep of Slytherin house." Draco said this caused Crabbe and Goyle to laugh but Krum didn't share in on their joke. When all the students had entered the Hall and settled down at their House tables, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet.

A few of the Hogwarts students laughed. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side. Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and — most particularly — guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students.

"I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable." One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a derisive laugh.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" He sat down, and Naruto saw Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage him in conversation. The plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The houseelves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Naruto had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.

"Karkaroff. . . is first name wouldn't happen to be Igor would it." Naruto asked on of the Durmstrang students. But none of them seemed to want to answer him

"Igor Karkaroff is an old family friend, why do you ask." Said Draco this didn't surprise Naruto in the slightest Draco's father and Karkaroff just happened to a part of the few Death Eater that managed to stay out of Azkaban.

The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual, even though there were barely twenty additional student there; perhaps it was because their differently colored uniforms stood out so clearly against the black of the Hogwarts' robes. Now that they had removed their furs, the Durmstrang students were revealed to be wearing robes of a deep bloodred. Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast.

Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now. Naruto felt a slight thrill of excitement, wondering what was coming. Several seats down from them, Fred and George were leaning forward, staring at Dumbledore with great concentration.

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket —"just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" — there was a smattering of polite applause — "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or simply because he looked so much more likable. He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand. Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced. Remembering him in his neat suit at the Quidditch World Cup, Harry thought he looked strange inwizard's robes. His toothbrush mustache and severe parting looked very odd next to Dumbledore's long white hair and beard.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

At the mention of the word "champions," the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen. Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled as he said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways . . . their magical prowess — their daring — their powers of deduction — and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

At this last word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing. Naruto on the other hand was stating to get very excited at idea of becoming Hogwarts champion.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames. Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

As everyone stated to file out of the Entrance Hall Naruto waited for Luna as the rest of the Slytherins and the students form Durmstrang stated to head for the door.

"So, are you going to find a way to enter the tournament?" Luna asked him as they started to head out of the Great Hall

"I'm thinking about it." Naruto told her as he wondered how he was going to get past Dumbledore's age line. Luna didn't look upset at the idea of him entering a life threating tournament, but the far off look on her face had just been replaced by that of worry.

"I won't tell you what to do, but please be careful." Luna told him as she stopped walking at the foot of the marble staircase. Naruto didn't know if she really was telling him what to do or not, but the tone of her voice left him feeling very confused.

"I'll see you in the morning." she told Naruto just watched her head up the steps before he finally moved along to the Slytherin common room. As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally have breakfasted late.

Naruto, Luna, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were not alone in rising much earlier than they usually did on weekends. When they meet up in the entrance hall, they saw about twenty people milling around it, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire. It had been placed in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.

"All the Durmstrang lot," she replied. "But I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," said Harry. "I would've if it had been me . . . wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"

"Yeah tell me about it." said Naruto as he let out a great big yawn Harry was about to ask him what he had meant when Someone laughed behind them. Turning, he saw Fred, George, and Lee Jordan hurrying down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.

"Done it," Fred said in a triumphant whisper to Harry, Ron, Naruto, Luna and Hermione. "Just taken it."

"What?" said Ron. "The Aging Potion, dung brains," said Fred. "One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older."

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," said Lee, grinning broadly.

"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," said Hermione warningly "I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this." Fred, George, and Lee ignored her.

"Ready?" Fred said to the other two, quivering with excitement. "C'mon, then — I'll go first —" Harry watched, fascinated, as Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing the words Fred _Weasley — Hogwarts. Fred_ walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.

For a split second Harry thought it had worked — George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred — but next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter. They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards. The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other's beards.

"I did warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore coming out of the Great Hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."

Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, accompanied by Lee, who was howling with laughter, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione, just then the students from Beauxbatons were coming through the front doors from the grounds

Those gathered around the Goblet of Fire stood back to let them pass, watching eagerly. Madame Maxime entered the hall behind her students and organized them into a line. One by one, the Beauxbatons students stepped across the Age Line and dropped their slips of parchment into the blue-white flames. As each name entered the fire, it turned briefly red and emitted sparks. The day seemed to pass quickly and as Naruto sat as the Slytherin table that night he noticed the Halloween feast seemed to take much longer then it usually did.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" — he indicated the door behind the staff table — "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful on the eyes. Everyone watched, waiting. . . . A few people kept checking their watches. . . .

"Any second," Zabini whispered, two seats way form Naruto. The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it — the whole room gasped. Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the flames, which had turned back to blue-white.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read, in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

"No surprises there!" said Draco as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Naruto saw Viktor Krum rise from the Slytherin table and slouch up toward Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!

The clapping and chatting died down. Now everyone's attention was focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!" looking over Naruto saw the girl who had been sitting next to Luna got gracefully to her feet, shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next . . . And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more; sparks showered out of it; the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, "is Naruto Uzumaki!"


	9. Chapter 9

uproar from everyone around him was too great. Every single Slytherin had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Naruto made his way past them, grinning broadly, blowing kisses to random people in the Great Hall before he headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers' table. Indeed, the applause for Naruto went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again. Naruto went through the door out of the Great Hall and found himself in a smaller room, lined with paintings of witches and wizards. A handsome fire was roaring in the fireplace opposite him.

The faces in the portraits turned to look at him as he entered. He saw a wizened witch flit out of the frame of her picture and into the one next to it, which contained a wizard with a walrus mustache. The wizened witch started whispering in his ear. Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour where standing around the fire they looked strangely impassive, silhouetted against the flames. Krum, hunched-up and brooding was leaning against the mantelpiece. Fleur Delacour was standing with her hands behind his back staring into the fire.

"Hi, Naruto Uzumaki, Hogwarts champion." Naruto told them excitedly as he walked up to them extending his hand out. But neither one of them seamed to want to shake his hand or talk so looking around the room Naruto spotted a large chair just off to the side to sit in. after a minute or two Naruto was starting to wonder how long they would have to wait.

"What is it?" Said Fleur. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?" wondering who she was talking to Naruto looked around his chair.

"Harry? Naruto said looking as he bewildered friend "What are you doing here." Just them there was a sound of scurrying feet behind him, and Ludo Bagman entered the room. He took Harry by the arm and led him forward.

"Extraordinary!" he muttered, squeezing Harry's arm. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen . . . lady," he added, approaching the fireside and addressing the other three. "May I introduce — incredible though it may seem — the fourth Triwizard champion?"

"Harry that great." Naruto said as he got up form his chair and clapped Harry on the back. Viktor Krum straightened up. His surly face darkened as he surveyed Harry. Fleur Delacour, however, tossed her hair, smiling, and said, "Oh, vairy funny joke, Meester Bagman."

"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Harry's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!" Krum's thick eyebrows contracted slightly. Naruto was still looking very excited. Fleur frowned.

"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," she said contemptuously to Bagman. " 'E cannot compete. 'E is too young."

"Well . . . it is amazing," said Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Harry. "But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as his name's come out of the goblet . . . I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage. . . . It's down in the rules, you're obliged . . . Harry will just have to do the best he —"

The door behind them opened again, and a large group of people came in: Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. Harry heard the buzzing of the hundreds of students on the other side of the wall, before Professor McGonagall closed the door.

"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at once, striding over to her headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zis little boyz is to compete also!"

"Hey!" Naruto called out indignantly "Who are you calling boy." Madame Maxime had drawn herself up to her full, and considerable, height. The top of her handsome head brushed the candle filled chandelier, and her gigantic black-satin bosom swelled.

"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said imperiously.

"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Professor Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. "Two Hogwarts champions? both underage I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions — or have I not read the rules carefully enough?" He gave a short and nasty laugh.

"C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Fleur's shoulder. " 'Ogwarts cannot 'ave two champions. It is most injust."

"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, his steely smile still in place, though his eyes were colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."

"It's no one's fault but Potter's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. His black eyes were alight with malice. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing lines ever since he arrived here —"

"Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore firmly, and Snape went quiet, though his eyes still glinted malevolently through his curtain of greasy black hair. This was enough for Naruto as he stood walked over to stand between Harry and the rest of the teachers.

"Well, I don't know about Harry, but I put my name in the goblet of fire at midnight right after Albus placed it in the Entrance Hall." Naruto said as he looked at each one of them in the eye. Professor Dumbledore was now looking down at Harry, who looked right back at him, trying to discern the expression of the eyes behind the half-moon spectacles.

"Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly.

"No," said Harry. He was very aware of everybody watching him closely. Snape made a soft noise of impatient disbelief in the shadows.

"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" said Professor Dumbledore, ignoring Snape.

"No," said Harry vehemently.

"And what about you Naruto how did you enter your name in the Goblet of fire?" Dumbledore asked him much in the same manner as he did Harry.

"Oh, that was easy enough." Naruto told them as he chuckled a little at the memory. "I had Yuna put my name in the goblet for me." At this Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall all had shared a looked of knowing

"What is ze's Yuna Dumbly-dorr?" Madame Maxine asked surprised had Naruto would admit to the truth.

"So, an older student did help them enter their names." Said Karkaroff angrier the ever at the lack of surprise in the Hogwarts staff.

"Yuna, Karkaroff, is Uzumaki's pet cat." Snape said through gritted teeth as he tried to hold back his anger.

"She's a cleaver thing." Naruto said proudly "he was able to drop my name with no problem."

"Be that as it may, what about Potter he could not have crossed the Age Line," said Professor McGonagall sharply. "I am sure we are all agreed on that —"

"Dumbly-dorr must 'ave made a mistake wiz ze line," said Madame Maxime, shrugging.

"It is possible, of course," said Dumbledore politely

"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you did not make a mistake!" said Professor McGonagall angrily. "Really, what nonsense! Harry could not have crossed the line himself, and as Professor Dumbledore believes that he did not persuade an older student to do it for him, I'm sure that should be good enough for everybody else!" She shot a very angry look at Professor Snape.

"Mr. Crouch . . . Mr. Bagman," said Karkaroff, his voice unctuous once more, "you are our — er — objective judges. Surely you will agree that this is most irregular?" Bagman wiped his round, boyish face with his handkerchief and looked at Mr. Crouch, who was standing outside the circle of the firelight, his face half hidden in shadow. He looked slightly eerie, the half darkness making him look much older, giving him an almost skull-like appearance. When he spoke, however, it was in his usual curt voice.

"We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament."

"Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front," said Bagman, beaming and turning back to Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, as though the matter was now closed.

"I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students," said Karkaroff. He had dropped his unctuous tone and his smile now. His face wore a very ugly look indeed. "You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has two champions. It's only fair, Dumbledore."

"But Karkaroff, it doesn't work like that," said Bagman. "The Goblet of Fire's just gone out — it won't reignite until the start of the next tournament —"

"— in which Durmstrang will most certainly not be competing!" exploded Karkaroff. "After all our meetings and negotiations and compromises, I little expected something of this nature to occur! I have half a mind to leave now!"

"Empty threat, Karkaroff," growled a voice from near the door. "You can't leave your champion now. He's got to compete. They've all got to compete. Binding magical contract, like Dumbledore said. Convenient, eh?"

Moody had just entered the room. He limped toward the fire, and with every right step he took, there was a loud clunk. "Convenient?" said Karkaroff. "I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody."

"Well." Said Naruto looking around the room. "Let's look at the facts, One, Harry potter the boy who lived having had two running with Voldemort." At the sound of the dark lords name several of people in the room shuddered." In the last three years had just found his way into a deadly tournament with no way of backing out. Two, the appearance of Death Eaters at the quidditch world up. Three there are now two know Death Eaters in this very room, one of which holds a personal vendetta against him—."

"Naruto!" Said Dumbledore warningly as Naruto starred down his head of house and the headmaster of Durmstrang. A new level of anger beginning to surge through him. Severus face fell into a cold mask of hate as he flexed his hand as if itching to grab his wand. Karkaroff's went a shade whiter.

"I'm out of here." Naruto said as tried to shrug off his anger. "good luck everyone and goodnight." He told his fellow champions as he pushed his way pass the adults. There came several calls of protest at his departure but had ignored them all. The Great Hall was deserted now; the candles had burned low, giving the jagged smiles of the pumpkins an eerie, flickering quality. In not time at all Naruto reached the Slytherin common room entrance.

The blast of noise that met Harry's ears when the portrait opened almost knocked him backward. Next thing he knew, he was being wrenched inside the common room by about a dozen pairs of hands, and was facing the whole of Slytherin House, all of whom were screaming, applauding, and whistling.

"You should've told us you'd entered!" bellowed Draco; he looked half annoyed; half deeply impressed.

"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" roared Crabbe.

"It was easy," Harry said. But Marcus Flint had now swooped down upon him; "Oh if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Slytherin —"

"You'll be able to pay back Potter for that last Quidditch match, Naruto!" shrieked Graham Montague, another of the Slytherin Chasers. Everybody wanted to hear how he put his name in the goblet it turned in to a great celebration. Pansy had unearthed a Slytherin banner form somewhere and it was drapped around Naruto like a cloak as Naruto told everyone how he had tricked Dumbledore's Age Line and got his name in the Goblet. . . .

'Wait it was your cat?" asked Draco unable to believe it was that easy to get past the headmaster's spell. By the party in Slytherin house came to a close it was well in to the early hours of the morning when Naruto found himself finally falling a sleep in his bed, a happy smile on his face.


	10. Chapter 10

When Naruto woke up on Sunday morning, he sat up and ripped back the curtains of his four-poster. looking around to see that everyone in the dorm was still sleeping heavily. Naruto dressed and headed out to the common room where people who had already finished breakfast broke into applause again which he gladly excepted. Moving out to the dungeons he made it out to the Entrance Hall where Luna was sitting down at the foot of the marble staircase, wand tucked behind her ear a strange look on her face as she rubbed to top of Yuna's head who she had sitting on her lap.

"Luna! Hey, I so what do you think Hogwarts champion." Naruto told her excitedly as he ran over to her to help her up off the steps. Luna took a moment to press down her uniform skirt before she looked up at him.

"Naruto. . . I really wished you hadn't entered. . ." Naruto as caught off guard by the looked Luna was giving him. His only thought had been about how exciting things would be as champion, he never wondered how his entering would affect others, especially Luna.

"Luna, I'm. . . I mean at. . . I didn't want to worry you or make you made -" Naruto tried to say was cut off when Luna placed her small slender finger on his lips to silence him.

"Just be careful, please. . . I just found you." Luna told him as she moved forward and reaching up on her tippy toes kissed Naruto lightly on his whiskered cheeks. This had been the first time after the forest that she had kissed him, smiling goofily Naruto touched to spot on his face her lips had just been on.

"Okay." Was all that Naruto could say as she led the way into the Great Hall. Once inside it was the same reaction as everyone but the Gryffindor's applauded Naruto and congratulated him for being chosen as the _"real"_ Hogwarts champion. Taking their usual seats at the end of the Slytherin table Naruto and Luna where about halfway through their breakfast when they saw Ron and Hermione walk into the Great Hall, but not Harry. A moment later Hermione was now walking over to them.

"Morning Naruto, Luna" she greeted them happily.

"Morning Mione." Said Naruto "Hello Hermione, Ronald is looking rather upset today has it anything to do with Harry and Naruto becoming champions." Luna said dreamily as she looked over at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione hesitated before choosing to answer them "Yes. . . well he just needs time to adjust." Hermione told them but it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself more them convince them.

"So where is Harry?" Naruto asked as he looked around the Great Hall.

"I expect he's having a bit of a lie-in." Hermione told them "but he probably won't want to come down to the Great Hall." And she showed them the stack of toast she was caring in a napkin.

"I don't think Harry was expecting his name to come out of the Goblet of Fire." Luna explained to Naruto upon the looked if misunderstanding on his face.

"Oh, well I thought he would be used to it by now." Naruto said. "Here well come with you." At this Hermione looked very grateful at them. and together all three left the Great Hall and stated to make their way up the Gryffindor Tower. When they reached the portrait of the Fatlady Naruto and Luna had plan to wait why'll Hermione went in after Harry, but someone had push it open and they came face-to-face with Harry.

"Morning." they all greeted him as Hermione held up the stack of toast, which she was carrying in a napkin. "I brought you this. . . . Want to go for a walk?"

"Good Idea," said Harry gratefully. They went downstairs, crossed the entrance hall quickly without looking in at the Great Hall, and were soon striding across the lawn toward the lake, where the Durmstrang ship was moored, reflected blackly in the water. It was a chilly morning, and they kept moving, munching their toast, as Harry told Hermione exactly what had happened after he had left the Gryffindor table the night before. To his immense relief, Hermione accepted his story without question.

"Well, of course I knew you hadn't entered yourself," she said when he'd finished telling her about the scene in the chamber off the Hall.

"The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name! But the question is, who did put it in? Because Moody's right, Harry . . . I don't think any student could have done it . . . they'd never be able to fool the Goblet, or get over Dumbledore's —"

"Have you seen Ron?" Harry interrupted. Hermione hesitated. "Erm . . . yes . . . he was at breakfast," she said.

"Does he still think I entered myself?" Harry asked looking over at her. "Well . . . no, I don't think so . . . not really," said Hermione awkwardly.

"What's that supposed to mean, 'not really'?"

"Oh Harry, isn't it obvious?" Hermione said despairingly. "He's jealous!"

"Jealous?" Harry said incredulously. "Jealous of what? He wants to make a prat of himself in front of the whole school, does he?"

"Well," said Luna dreamily, "it's always you who gets all the attention, the boy who lived, savior of the wizarding word." Hermione added quickly, seeing Harry open his mouth furiously.

"I know you don't ask for it . . . but — well — you know, Ron's got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you're his best friend, and you're really famous — he's always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time too many."

"We have bigger things to worry about then Ron at the moment." Everyone looked over at Naruto. "Harry, write to Sirius. You've got to tell him what's happened. He asked you to keep him posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts." Harry and Hermione looked from Naruto to Luna shock clear on their face, but Naruto didn't pay them any attention.

"It's almost as if he expected something like this to happen." Luna said looking over at Naruto "I wonder if he can see Nargles?" finally Naruto realized his friends were still looking and he put two and two together.

"Oh, right don't worry I told Luna everything. . . _EVERYTHING_." Naruto said as he took Luna's small hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. Hermione was the first to recover

"He's right Harry I brought some parchment and a quill out with me —"

"Come off it," said Harry, looking around to check that they couldn't be overheard, but the grounds were quite deserted. "He came back to the country just because my scar twinged. He'll probably come bursting right into the castle if I tell him someone's entered me in the Triwizard Tournament —"

"_He'd want you to tell him_," said Hermione sternly. "He's going to find out anyway —"

"How?" aske Harry looked over at Naruto suspiciously.

"Harry, this isn't going to be kept quiet," said Hermione, very seriously. "This tournament's famous, and you're famous. I'll be really surprised if there isn't anything in the Daily Prophet about you competing. . . . You're already in half the books about You- Know-Who, you know . . . and Sirius would rather hear it from you, I know he would."

"Okay, okay, I'll write to him," said Harry, throwing his last piece of toast into the lake. They all stood and watched it floating there for a moment, before a large tentacle rose out of the water and scooped it beneath the surface. Then they returned to the castle.

"Whose owl am I going to use?" Harry said as they climbed the stairs. "He told me not to use Hedwig again."

"borrow one of the school owls, anyone can use them," said Luna. They went up to the Owlery Hermione gave Harry a piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink, then she and Luna strolled around the long lines of perches, looking at all the different owls, while Harry sat down against a wall and wrote his letter.

_Dear Sirius,_

_You told me to keep you posted on what's happening at Hogwarts, so here goes — I don't know if you've heard, but the Triwizard Tournament's happening this year and on Saturday night I got picked as a fourth champion. I don't know who put my name in the Goblet of Fire, because I didn't. The other Hogwarts champion is Naruto. Hope you're okay, and Buckbeak — Harry_

"Finished," he told Hermione, getting to his feet and brushing straw off his robes. At this, Hedwig came fluttering down onto his shoulder and held out her leg.

"I can't use you," Harry told her, looking around for the school owls. "I've got to use one of these. . . ."

Hedwig gave a very loud hoot and took off so suddenly that her talons cut into his shoulder. She kept her back to Harry all the time he was tying his letter to the leg of a large barn owl. When the barn owl had flown off, Harry reached out to stroke Hedwig, but she clicked her beak furiously and soared up into the rafters out of reach.

"First Ron, then you," said Harry angrily. "**This isn't my fault**."

"Don't worry at least it can't get any worse." Naruto told Harry as he patted his friend on the back.

If Naruto had thought that matters would improve once everyone got used to the idea of him and Harry being champions, the following day showed him how mistaken he was. Harry could no longer avoid the rest of the school once he was back at lessons. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws who were usually on excellent terms with the Gryffindors, had turned remarkably cold toward the whole lot of them.

All the while Naruto tried to keep the peace between the rest of the school and Harry, but this only got more difficult because it was Care of Magical Creatures today. which meant seeing the Slytherins too — the first time he would come face-to-face with them since becoming champion. Predictably, Malfoy arrived at Hagrid's cabin with his familiar sneer firmly in place.

"Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," he said to Crabbe and Goyle the moment he got within earshot of Harry.

"Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer. . . . Half the Triwizard champions have died . . . how long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet." Crabbe and Goyle guffawed sycophantically, but Malfoy had to stop there when Naruto turned away from Harry and flashed his fellow Slytherin's a threatening look.

Just then Hagrid emerged from the back of his cabin balancing a teetering tower of crates, each containing a very large Blast-Ended Skrewt. To the class's horror, Hagrid proceeded to explain that the reason the skrewts had been killing one another was an excess of pent-up energy, and that the solution would be for each student to fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk. The only good thing about this plan was that it distracted Malfoy completely.

"Take this thing for a walk?" he repeated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"

"Roun' the middle," said Hagrid, demonstrating. "Er — yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like. Harry, Naruto — you come here an' help me with this big one. . . ."

Hagrid's real intention, however, was to talk to Harry away from the rest of the class. He waited until everyone else had set off with their skrewts, then turned to Harry and said, very seriously, "So — yer competin', Harry. In the tournament. School champion. You too" he said looking to Naruto

"One of the champions," Harry corrected him. Hagrid's beetle-black eyes looked very anxious under his wild eyebrows.

"No idea who put yeh in fer it, Harry?" said Hagrid looking at the two of them. "Hey, don't look at me." Said Naruto simply.

"You believe I didn't do it, then?" said Harry, concealing with difficulty the rush of gratitude he felt at Hagrid's words.

" 'Course I do," Hagrid grunted. "Yeh say it wasn' you, an' I believe yeh — an' Dumbledore believes yer, an' all."

"Wish I knew who did do it," said Harry bitterly. The three of them looked out over the lawn; the class was widely scattered now, and all in great difficulty. The skrewts were now over three feet long, and extremely powerful. No longer shell-less and colorless, they had developed a kind of thick, grayish, shiny armor. They looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs — but still without recognizable heads or eyes. They had become immensely strong and very hard to control.

"Look like they're havin' fun, don' they?" Hagrid said happily. Naruto assumed he was talking about the skrewts, because his classmates certainly weren't; every now and then, with an alarming bang, one of the skrewts' ends would explode, causing it to shoot forward several yards, and more than one person was being dragged along on their stomach, trying desperately to get back on their feet.

"Ah, I don' know, Harry," Hagrid sighed suddenly, looking back down at him with a worried expression on his face. "School champion . . . everythin' seems ter happen ter you, doesn' it?"


	11. Chapter 11

The next few days were some of Naruto's best at Hogwarts well mostly. He could understand the Gryffindors attitude, even if he didn't like it; he supposed they did have their own champion to support. Everywhere he went around the school every would congratulate him for being chosen the Slytherin where acting as if they had just won the Quidditch and Inter-House Cup all in one go. Naruto had expected nothing less, but as great surprise to him was how the Ravenclaws treated him. It must have been the fact that his girlfriend was a Ravenclaw, but you would have thought the real Hogwarts champion was a Ravenclaw all along.

Naruto couldn't help but feeling sympathy for Harry as the way the school turned home him brought up too many bad memories of his home and the way the village used to treat him. classes where going along fine and as he walked hand-in-hand with Luna, however the same couldn't be said for Harry as he and Neville received extra homework after Professor Flitwick's class due to his trouble with the Summoning Charm.

"It's really not that difficult, Harry," Hermione tried to reassure him as they left Flitwick's class — she and Naruto had been making objects zoom across the room to her all lesson, as though she were some sort of weird magnet for board dusters, wastepaper baskets, and lunascopes. "You just weren't concentrating properly —"

"Wonder why that was," said Harry darkly as a large group of simpering girls walked pass them as they looked on a Naruto with admiration before turning to look at Harry and Luna as if they were a particularly large Blast-Ended Skrewt. "Still — never mind, eh? Double Potions to look forward to this afternoon. . . ."

When Harry, Naruto, and Hermione arrived at Snape's dungeon after lunch, they found the Slytherins waiting outside, each and every one of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes. then they saw that they all bore the same message, in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage:

SUPPORT NARUTO UZUMAKI THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION!

"Like them, Potter?" said Malfoy loudly as Harry approached. "And this isn't all they do — look!" He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green:

POTTER STINKS

The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry. He felt the heat rise in his face and neck.

"Oh very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty." Ron was standing against the wall with Dean and Seamus. He wasn't laughing, but he wasn't sticking up for Harry either.

"Want one, Granger?" said Malfoy, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

Harry had reached for his people all around them scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.

"Harry!" Hermione said warningly.

"Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now — do it, if you've got the guts —"For a split second, they looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted.

"_Accio badge!"_ Naruto yelled and every single glowing badge the Slytherin's went zooming through the air and right into Naruto's out stretch hand which in a fit of rage he was able to crush them all in the palm of his hand effortlessly. Everyone backed away from Naruto in shock and fear and when Naruto finally recovered form his fit of rage, he looked around finally able to focus on everyone around him.

"Naruto?" Hermione asked worriedly as she took a tentative step towards him. that's when Naruto saw the fear on their faces' not knowing what to do Naruto turned around and bolted back down the corridor and stated heading out of the dungeons before anyone could stop him.

"_They were afraid of me."_ Naruto thought as he continued to run

**Well of course they could be. . . . monster **

Caught off guard by the strange deep dark voice Naruto didn't notice when the leading to the Entrance hall from the dungeons opened and

CRASH!

Falling backwards, Naruto held his head wondering what he had just hit a full force.

"Colin?" looking down Naruto saw that was non-other than the small boy that loved to follow Harry around. Colin Creevey. "Sorry I didn't see you, are you ok?" Naruto asked as he helped the boy stand up

"I'm fine, really." Colin said as he straitens out his robs "Naruto Mr. Bagman wants all the Champions to meet in the third floor classroom, the small one just on the left of the staircase landing." Colin said

"Yeah Ok thanks Colin." Naruto said before he stopped and turned back at the boy "Hey, Colin, Harrys in Potions Three classroom." And with that Naruto stated to make his way up the marble staircase to meet with the other Champions.

Reaching the third floor Naruto found knocked and opened the door. It was a fairly small classroom; most of the desks had been pushed away to the back of the room, leaving a large space in the middle; three of them, however, had been placed end-to-end in front of the blackboard and covered with a long length of velvet. Five chairs had been set behind the velvet-covered desks, and Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them, talking to a witch Naruto had never seen before, who was wearing magenta robes.

Viktor Krum was standing moodily in a corner as usual and not talking to anybody. Fleur looked a good deal happier than Naruto had seen her so far; And a paunchy man, holding a large black camera that was smoking slightly. Bagman suddenly spotted, got up quickly, and bounded forward.

"Aw, Naruto Uzumaki welcome nothing to worry about, it's just the wand weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment —"

"Wand weighing?" Naruto asked his curiosity peeked.

"We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they're your most important tools in the tasks ahead," said Bagman.

"The expert's upstairs now with Dumbledore. And then there's going to be a little photo shoot. This is Rita Skeeter," he added, gesturing toward the witch in magenta robes. "She's doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet. . . ."

"Maybe not that small, Ludo," said Rita Skeeter, her eyes on Naruto. Her hair was set in elaborate and curiously rigid curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jeweled spectacles. The thick fingers clutching her crocodile-skin handbag endedin two-inch nails, painted crimson.

"I wonder if I could have a little word with Mr. Uzumaki before we start?" she said to Bagman, but still gazing fixedly at Naruto. "One of the youngest champion, you know . . . to add a bit of color?"

"Certainly!" cried Bagman. "That is — if Naruto has no objection?"

"No, that sounds great." Naruto said Happily to the utmost delight of Rita Skeeter

"Lovely," said Rita and in a second, her scarlet-taloned fingers had Harry's upper arm in a surprisingly strong grip, and she was steering him out of the room again and opening a nearby door.

"We don't want to be in there with all that noise," she said. "Let's see . . . ah, yes, this is nice and cozy." It was a broom cupboard. Naruto stared at her suspiciously

"I have a girlfriend." Naruto told her as that this Rita Skeeter looked at Naruto indignantly

"Come along, dear — that's right — lovely," said Rita Skeeter again, perching herself precariously upon an upturned bucket, pushing Harry down onto a cardboard box, and closing the door, throwing them into darkness.

"Let's see now . . ." She unsnapped her crocodile-skin handbag and pulled out a handful of candles, which she lit with a wave of her wand and magicked into midair, so that they could see what they were doing.

"You won't mind, Harry, if I use a Quick-Quotes Quill? It leaves me free to talk to you normally. . . ."

"Sure no problem" said Naruto Rita Skeeter's smile widened. She reached again into her crocodile bag and drew out a long acidgreen quill and a roll of parchment, which she stretched out between them on a crate of Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover. She put the tip of the green quill into her mouth, sucked it for a moment with apparent relish, then placed it upright on the parchment, where it stood balanced on its point, quivering slightly.

"Testing . . . my name is Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter." Naruto looked down quickly at the quill in amazment. The moment Rita Skeeter had spoken, the green quill had started to scribble, skidding across the parchment:

_**Attractive blonde Rita Skeeter, forty-three, whose savage quill has punctured many inflated reputations —**_

"Lovely," said Rita Skeeter, yet again, and she ripped the top piece of parchment off, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into her handbag. Now she leaned toward Naruto and said, "So, Naruto . . .what made you decide to enter the Triwizard Tournament?"

"Well I thought it would be fun" Started to say, but he was distracted by the quill, it was dashing across the parchment,

_**Three whiskers like birth marks on each cheek, add a wild look to the charming face of Naruto Uzumaki, whose eyes —**_

"Ignore the quill, Naruto," said Rita Skeeter firmly. Reluctantly, Naruto looked up at her instead. "Now — why did you decide to enter the tournament, Naruto?"

"Like I said I thought it would be fun and exciting. I've never like sitting on the side lines when something dangerous is happening." Naruto answered her at this Rita Skeeter raised on heavily penciled eyebrow.

"Oh, really our readers love a rebel. How do you feel about the task ahead?" said Rita Skeeter "Excited? Nervous?"

"Both, I'm excited at the challenge of the unknown and nervous about how much Luna will worry." Naruto answered honestly.

"Who is Luna." Rita Skeeter asked.

"Luna Lovegood she a Ravenclaw and my girlfriend." Naruto said proudly.

"Champions have died in the past, haven't they?" said Rita Skeeter briskly. "Have you thought about that at all?"

"No, I haven't really thought about it much?" Naruto told her.

"Well we know your name but tell us about yourself who is Naruto Uzumaki." Rita asked and taking a moment Naruto stated to tell her the rehearsed story he and Dumbledore settled on.

"I grow up an orphan in a small village in Japan, they heated and feared me because of my magic. One day I was chased out of the village and I somehow apparated right outside Hogwarts, so after I was found by Dumbledore. He took me in got me a wand and I stated learning magic just last year." Naruto finished telling her.

"Can you remember your parents at all?" said Rita Skeeter,

"No," said Naruto.

"How do you think they'd feel if they knew you were competing in the Triwizard Tournament? Proud? Worried? Angry?"

"I hope proud and not too worried." Naruto told her

"I think that will do." Rita Skeeter said delighted as she put her quill and parchment back in her bag and closing it with a snap. Opening the cupboard they headed back in to the class room and just but now Harry was finally here, but before Naruto had a chance to talk to his friend Rita Skeeter rushed over and spirited him way to the same cupboard like she did with him. looking around the room Naruto saw Victor and Fleur were still standing around looking impatient and annoyed.

"Hi, so how's it going." Naruto asked the both of them as he walked over. Krum remained silent but Fleur looked over at him.

"Ruto, you ar' Zat Luna girls _copain_." Fleur said as she looked him up and down appraisingly.

"_Copain_? Whats that supposed to mean." Naruto asked not understanding the French word.

"boyfriend." Fleur clarified to which Naruto nodded his head in understand.

"Oh, yeah your sitting at the Ravenclaw table. Yes, I'm dating Luna." Naruto answered her. And so they spent the next few minutes just making small talk as they waited for Harry and Rita Skeeter to comeback in to the classroom. As the talked the door to the classroom opened and looking over Naruto saw that it was Dumbldore closely followed by Karkaroff and Madame Maxime as well as Mr. Crouch.

"Hey Albus." Naruto called out as he looked over at the aged headmaster who had taken his wand out.

"You tak' to zy headmaster zat way." Fleur asked as she saw the way Naruto talked to the headmaster as he started to make out chairs near the door and a velvet-covered table, where the five judges would sit.

"Oh, yeah the old man doesn't mind at all." Naruto told her with an amused smirk at the look of astonishment she gave him. with his work done Dumbledore quickly left the room and returned a moment later with Harry and Rita Skeeter in toe. As they all took their seats Harry finally coming to join the rest of the champions

Another person entered the room. "May I introduce Mr. Ollivander?" said Dumbledore, taking his place at the judges' table and talking to the champions. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament."


	12. Chapter 12

Naruto and Harry looked over and saw a old wizard with large, pale eyes standing quietly by the window. Naruto had last seen Mr. Ollivander just last year when he and Dumbledore when to Diagon Alley for first wand.

"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?" said Mr. Ollivander, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room. Fleur Delacour swept over to Mr. Ollivander and handed him her wand.

"Hmmm . . ." he said. He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it close to his eyes and examined it carefully.

"Yes," he said quietly, "nine and a half inches . . . inflexible . . . rosewood . . . and containing . . . dear me . . ."

"An 'air from ze 'ead of a veela," said Fleur. "One of my grandmuzzer's."

"Yes," said Mr. Ollivander, "yes, I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands . . . however, to each his own, and if this suits you . . ." Mr. Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, "Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.

"Very well, very well, it's in fine working order," said Mr. Ollivander, scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand. "Mr. Uzumaki, you next." Fleur glided back to her seat, smiling at Naruto as he passed her.

"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Mr. Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm, as Naruto handed over his wand "Yes, I remember it well. deathly combination elder and thestral hair twelve and a half inches unpredictable and fierce." That this piece of information Fleur let out a small gasp of shock as several of the adults looked suspiciously at Naruto. Mr. Ollivander sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room from the tip of Naruto's wand, pronounced himself satisfied. And the said "Mr. Krum, if you please."

Viktor Krum got up and slouched, round-shouldered and duckfooted, toward Mr. Ollivander. He thrust out his wand and stood scowling, with his hands in the pockets of his robes.

"Hmm," said Mr. Ollivander, "this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I . . . however . . ." He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes.

"Yes . . . hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he shot at Krum, who nodded. "Rather thicker than one usually sees . . . quite rigid . . . ten and a quarter inches . . . Avis!" The hornbeam wand let off a blast like a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window into the watery sunlight.

"Good," said Mr. Ollivander, handing Krum back his wand. "Which leaves . . . Mr. Potter."

Harry got to his feet and walked past Krum to Mr. Ollivander. He handed over his wand.

"Aaaah, yes," said Mr. Ollivander, his pale eyes suddenly gleaming. "Yes, yes, yes. How well I remember."

Mr. Ollivander spent much longer examining Harry's wand than anyone else's. Eventually, however, he made a fountain of wine shoot out of it, and handed it back to Harry, announcing that it was still in perfect condition.

"Thank you all," said Dumbledore, standing up at the judges' table. "You may go back to your lessons now — or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end Feeling that at last something had gone right today, Harry got up to leave, but the man with the black camera jumped up and cleared his throat.

"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" cried Bagman excitedly. "All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"

"Er — yes, let's do those first," said Rita Skeeter, whose eyes were upon Harry and Naruto again. "And then perhaps some individual shots."

The photographs took a long time. Madame Maxime cast everyone else into shadow wherever she stood, and the photographer couldn't stand far enough back to get her into the frame; eventually she had to sit while everyone else stood around her. Karkaroff kept twirling his goatee around his finger to give it an extra curl; Krum, whom Harry would have thought would have been used to this sort of thing, skulked, half-hidden, at the back of the group. The photographer seemed keenest to get Fleur at the front, but Rita Skeeter kept hurrying forward and dragging Harry and Naruto into greater prominence.

Once everything was finished Naruto and Harry went down to the Great Hall for dinner, as they went a awkward silence fell over them and finally not being able to take it any longer Naruto spoke first.

"Look Harry, sorry If I freaked you guys out today outside potions class." Naruto said as he kept his eyes forward. Harry stayed silent for a moment before he finally spoke.

"It's alright Naruto, Malfoy has a way of making everybody mad." Harry said and Naruto let out a great sigh of relief that no one thought him strange. Once they reached the Great Hall and went to their house tables for dinner Naruto tried to not notice the dark looks Draco was sending his was. Finishing his dinner, he quickly made to leave the Great Hall but halfway through crossing the entrance hall he was stopped.

"Naruto." Is wasn't shouted, the voice was barely above a whisper, but Naruto could clearly make out who had called him.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" turning around Naruto came face-to-face with Luna.

"Hey, Luna how was your dinner." Naruto asked as he put up a smiling face.

"What's wrong Naruto?" she asked him again "I can tell something is bothering you, please tell." Looking down at her Naruto saw the growing concern in Luna face and the sincerity of her words. taking her small hand in his and led them to up the marble staircase and in to the first open classroom he could him. Once inside Luna stayed silent as he paced back-and-forth

"I think there's something wrong with me." Naruto finally told her. "I – I've been getting angry and angry. . . all the time." And he told her about the incident outside of the potions classroom.  
"Harry said he understands. . . . but the way they were looking at me I – I was reminded –" Naruto was now having a heard time to speaking and Luna walked up to him.

"Naruto, you're not in that place anymore." Luna told him calmly and that was the Naruto was really scared of that people where would start to see and treat him the same way the villagers did. After a few minutes of just hugging Luna and taking in her light floral scent they slowly started to break apart.

"thanks Luna. Sorry if I worried you." Naruto told her but Luna only just smiled up at him her pale silvery eyes stared deeply into his sapphire ones, slowly Naruto brought a hand up and gently moved a lock of her dirty blond hair that had fallen over her face and pushed it back

"Must be all the Nargles around her, they like negative emotions." Luna said dreamily Naruto let out a small chuckle at her comment.

"Yeah, I hate those things." Naruto told as he moved nearer to her. He could make out the slight tint of blue in her eyes, a tingling sensation was spreading throughout him. she closed her eyes and started to tilt her head up him, and her mirrored her actions.

Then their lips finally meet it wasn't the same the quick surprise peck in the forest. This time he was ready and so was she as they both put all their feeling it to that one kiss. . . .

When Naruto had finally made it back to the Slytherin Common room the was mostly full of upper classmen all focused on there work, but Naruto was still to excited to think of anything else right now that wasn't a dreamy voice Ravenclaw girl. After that the next few day seemed to pass by without any kind of incident. His classing were going fine he and Luna where spending more time together with Luna. The only hiccup in his life at Hogwarts so far was when Rita Skeeter published her piece about the Triwizard Tournament,

It had turned out to be not so much a report on the tournament as a highly colored drama about Naruto and Harry. Much of the front page had been given over to a picture of Naruto looking very excited and Harry trying his best not to be seen; the article (continuing on pages two, six, and seven)the names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions (misspelled) had been squashed into the last line of the article.

The article had appeared ten days ago, at first it was a shock but after reading it over with Luna, Harry, and Hermione and having a good laugh, well not as much as Harry. Most of the negative attentions was being pushed towards Harry, much to the efforts that Naruto made to keep the Slytherins from teasing.

**Three whiskers like birth marks on each cheek, add a wild look to the charming face of Naruto Uzumaki, whose eyes shine like two sapphire stones under a devil-may-care mess of sun-kissed blond hair. Although only a fourth year Naruto excitement for the coming danger of the Triwizard tournament comes off like a burst of sunlight on a cloudy day**

_I don't really see it as a competition, but as the next adventure what life is worth living if your is not thrill in it to be had. . . . I'm sure Dumbledore must be upset about my entering the tournament, but it's better to beg forgiveness then ask permission. _

**But our readers at home are wondering who it Naruto Uzumaki other than the Slytherin Hogwarts Champion I'm sadden to say we might never really know.**

_I really don't remember I just woke up outside Hogwarts castle. . . . I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now. . . . _

**Rita Skeeter had gone even further She had interviewed other people about him too**.

_Naruto has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Harry Potter, says that Naruto is rarely seen out of the company of one Luna Lovegood, a beauty for the ages who, like Naruto, shares kindred spirt of adventure. Miss. Lovegood like Naruto a seen taking long walk hand-in-hand in the forbidden forest._

Naruto didn't really mind what Rita Skeeter had said about him beside he had other thing to worry about. It is a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up. The days until the first task seemed to slip by as though someone had fixed the clocks to work at double speed. On the Saturday before the first task, all students in the third year and above were permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade. So Naruto Hermione and Luna told Harry that it would do him good to get away from the castle for a bit, and Harry didn't need much persuasion.

"What about Ron, though?" Harry said. "Don't you want to go with him?"

"Oh . . . well . . ." Hermione went slightly pink. "I thought we might meet up with him in the Three Broomsticks. . . ."

"No," said Harry flatly.

"Oh Harry, this is so stupid —" Hermione tried to interject.

"I'll come, but I'm not meeting Ron, and I'm wearing my Invisibility Cloak."

" all right then . . ." Hermione snapped back at Harry "but I hate talking to you in that cloak, I never know if I'm looking at you or not." So Harry put on his Invisibility Cloak in the dormitory, went back downstairs, and together the four of them set off for Hogsmeade.

"Oh Naruto its amazing." Said Luna as it was her first time in the village and the spent the rest of there time showing Luna around the village. When they came out of Honeydukes Sweetshop, all of them eating large creamfilled chocolates.

"Come on, please just take off your cloak for a bit, no one's going to bother you here." Hermione complained again as she bumped into an invisible Harry for the fifth time.

"Oh yeah?" said Harry. "Look behind you." Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend had just emerged from the Three Broomsticks pub. Talking in low voices, they passed right by Hermione without looking at her. Harry backed into the wall of Honeydukes to stop Rita Skeeter from hitting him with her crocodile-skin handbag. However, she did notice Naruto.

"Naruto dear how lovely to see you, and this must be the great Luna I was told about." Rita said she pushed pass Hermione and came up to the two of them.

"Hello, Luna may I introduce Luna Lovegood – Luna, Rita Skeeter." Said Naruto as Rita skeeter already had her Quick-Quotes Quill out and her camera man was snapping away at him and Luna.

"So, the first task is a few days away how are you felling Naruto." Rita asked

"Great, I look forward to wining." Naruto told her

"And what about you Luna your boyfriend is about to compete in a tournament that has lead to the deaths of several of its champions over its long bloody history." Rita Skeeter asked

"Oh, I'm not worried my Naruto can do anything." At her words Naruto got a great big smile on her face and Rita Skeeter looked as if she had just found a bag of gold galleons.

"Sorry Rita, but could we cut this a bit short, its Luna's first time in Hogsmeade and she still needs to see the three broomsticks." Said Naruto as he lead Luna pass Rita Skeeter and he Hermione and invisible Harry went in to the pub.

The Three Broomsticks was packed, mainly with Hogwarts students enjoying their free afternoon, but also with a variety of magical people Naruto rarely saw anywhere else. He supposed that as Hogsmeade was the only all-wizard village in Britain, it was a bit of a haven for creatures like hags, who were not as adept as wizards at disguising themselves.

Naruto and Harry edged towards a spare table in the corner while Hermione and Luna went to by drinks the girls joined them a moment later and quickly they slipped Harry a butterbeer under his cloak. They sat around happily talking and looking round the pub Hermione had even been able to get Naruto and Luna to sign up for S.P.E.W

"Look, it's Hagrid!" said Hermione. The back of Hagrid's enormous shaggy head — he had mercifully abandoned his bunches — emerged over the crowd. they saw that Hagrid had been leaning low, talking to Professor Moody. Hagrid had his usual enormous tankard in front of him, but Moody was drinking from his hip flask. Madam Rosmerta, the pretty landlady, didn't seem to think much of this; she was looking askance at Moody as she collected glasses from tables around them. Perhaps she thought it was an insult to her mulled mead, but Harry knew better. Moody had told them all during their last Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson that he preferred to prepare his own food and drink at all times, as it was so easy for Dark wizards to poison an unattended cup.

As they watched, he saw Hagrid and Moody get up to leave. He waved, then remembered that Hagrid couldn't see him. Moody, however, paused, his magical eye on the corner where Harry was standing. He tapped Hagrid in the small of the back (being unable to reach his shoulder), muttered something to him, and then the pair of them made their way back across the pub toward the table.

"All right, you lot?" said Hagrid loudly.

"Hello," said Hermione, Luna and Harry smiling back. Moody limped around the table and bent down, "Nice cloak, Potter." he muttered Naruto stared at him in amazement. The large chunk missing from Moody's nose was particularly obvious at a few inches' distance. Moody grinned.

"Can your eye — I mean, can you — ?"

"Yeah, it can see through Potter's Invisibility Cloaks," Moody said quietly.

"And it's come in useful at times, I can tell you." Hagrid was beaming down at Harry too, but Moody had obviously told Hagrid he was there. Hagrid now bent down on the pretext of reading the S.P.E.W. notebook as well, and said in a whisper so low that only Harry and Naruto could hear it, "Boys, meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin. Wear that cloak."

Straightening up, Hagrid said loudly, "Nice ter see yeh, Hermione, Luna, Naruto" winked, and departed. Moody followed him.

"Why does Hagrid want me to meet us at midnight?" Harry said, very surprised.

"Does he?" said Hermione, looking startled.

"I wonder what he'sup to? I don't know whether you should go, Harry. . . ." She looked nervously around and hissed, "It might make you late for Sirius."

"How is your Godfather, Harry." Luna asked as took a sip of her butterbeer and Harry and Hermione filled them in on Harrys meeting with Sirius.

"So," said Naruto finishing his drink "she'll I meet you in the Entrance Hall of at Hagrid's hut."


	13. Chapter 13

That night Naruto had no trouble getting out of the Slytherin common, given the fact that no one seemed to care what others did. Moving through the dungeons and making his way up into the Entrance Hall Naruto didn't have long to wait when and invisible finger tapped his shoulder.

"Harry is that you." Naruto asked hoping it wasn't one of the school ghosts.

"yeah it me, under the cloak quick." Harry said the throw the Invisibility cloak over the both of them. The grounds were very dark. Harry and Naruto walked down the lawn toward the lights shining in Hagrid's cabin. The inside of the enormous Beauxbatons carriage was also lit up; Harry could hear Madam Maxime talking inside it as he knocked on Hagrid's front door.

"You there, Harry, Naruto?" Hagrid whispered, opening the door and looking around.

"Yeah," said Harry, slipping inside the cabin and pulling the cloak down off his head. "What's up?" said Naruto.

"Got summat ter show yeh, both" said Hagrid. There was an air of enormous excitement about Hagrid. He was wearing a flower that resembled an oversized artichoke in his buttonhole. It looked as though he had abandoned the use of axle grease, but he had certainly attempted to comb his hair — Harry could see the comb's broken teeth tangled in it.

"What're you showing me?" Harry said warily, Naruto wondering if the skrewts had laid eggs,

"Come with me, keep quiet, an' keep yerself covered with that cloak," said Hagrid. "We won' take Fang, he won' like it. . . ."

"Listen, Hagrid, I can't stay long. . . . I've got to be back up at the castle by one o'clock —" Harry tired to say but Hagrid wasn't listening; he was opening the cabin door and striding off into the night. Naruto and Harry hurried to follow and found, to his great surprise, that Hagrid was leading him to the Beauxbatons carriage.

"Hagrid, what — ?" Naruto stated to ask.

"Shhh!" said Hagrid, and he knocked three times on the door bearing the crossed golden wands. Madame Maxime opened it. She was wearing a silk shawl wrapped around her massive shoulders. She smiled when she saw Hagrid.

"Ah, 'Agrid . . . it is time?"

"Bong-sewer," said Hagrid, beaming at her, and holding out a hand to help her down the golden steps. Madame Maxime closed the door behind her, Hagrid offered her his arm, and they set off around the edge of the paddock containing Madame Maxime's giant winged horses, with both boys, totally bewildered, running to keep up with them. Had Hagrid wanted to show him Madame Maxime? He could see her any old time he wanted . . . she wasn't exactly hard to miss. . . .

But it seemed that Madame Maxime was in for the same treat as Harry, because after a while she said playfully,

"Wair is it you are taking me, 'Agrid?" "Yeh'll enjoy this," said Hagrid gruffly, "worth seein', trust me. On'y — don' go tellin' anyone I showed yeh, right? Yeh're not s'posed ter know."

"Of course not," said Madame Maxime, fluttering her long black eyelashes. And still they walked, Harry getting more and more irritated as he jogged along in their wake, checking his watch every now and then. Hagrid had some harebrained scheme in hand, which might make him miss Sirius. If they didn't get there soon, he was going to turn around, go straight back to the castle, and leave Hagrid to enjoy his moonlit stroll with Madame Maxime. . . .

But then — when they had walked so far around the perimeter of the forest that the castle and the lake were out of sight — Harry heard something. Men were shouting up ahead . . . then came a deafening, earsplitting roar. . . . Hagrid led Madame Maxime around a clump of trees and came to a halt. Harry and Naruto hurried up alongside them — for a split second, he thought he was seeing bonfires, and men darting around them — and then their mouths fell open.

_**Dragons.**_

Four fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing onto their hind legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick planks of wood, roaring and snorting — torrents of fire were shooting into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks. There was a silvery-blue one with long, pointed horns, snapping and snarling at the wizards on the ground; a smooth-scaled green one, which was writhing and stamping with all its might; a red one with an odd fringe of fine gold spikes around its face, which was shooting mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the air; and a gigantic black one, more lizard-like than the others, which was nearest to them.

"_Stupefy!" _

At least thirty wizards, seven or eight to each dragon, were attempting to control them, pulling on the chains connected to heavy leather straps around their necks and legs. Mesmerized, Naruto and Naruto looked up, high above him, and saw the eyes of the black dragon, with vertical pupils like a cat's, bulging with either rage.

Dragons teeter dangerously on its back legs; its jaws stretched wide in a silent howl; its nostrils were suddenly devoid of flame, though still smoking — then, very slowly, it fell. Several tons of sinewy, scaly-black dragon hit the ground with a thud. The dragon keepers lowered their wands and walked forward to their fallen charges, each of which was the size of a small hill. They hurried to tighten the chains and fasten them securely to iron pegs, which they forced deep into the ground with their wands.

""All right, Hagrid?" Harry realized who it was Charlie Weasley

"Harry who it that?" Naruto asked

"He's Ron's older brother Charlie he works with dragons in Romania.

"They should be okay now — we put them out with a Sleeping Draft on the way here, thought it might be better for them to wake up in the dark and the quiet — but, like you saw, they weren't happy, not happy at all —" Charlie told Hagrid as he wiped the dirt form her forehead.

"What breeds you got here, Charlie?" said Hagrid, gazing at the closest dragon, the black one, with something close to reverence. Its eyes were still just open. Harry could see a strip of gleaming yellow beneath its wrinkled black eyelid.

"This is a Hungarian Horntail," said Charlie. "There's a Common Welsh Green over there, the smaller one — a Swedish Short- Snout, that blue-gray — and a Chinese Fireball, that's the red." Charlie looked around; Madame Maxime was strolling away around the edge of the enclosure, gazing at the stunned dragons.

"Four . . ." said Hagrid, "so it's one fer each o' the champions, is it? What've they gotta do — fight 'em?"

"Just get past them, I think," said Charlie. "We'll be on hand if it gets nasty, Extinguishing Spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers, I don't know why . . . but I tell you this, I don't envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious thing. Its back end's as dangerous as its front, look."

Charlie pointed toward the Horntail's tail, and Harry saw long, bronze-colored spikes protruding along it every few inches. Five of Charlie's fellow keepers staggered up to the Horntail at that moment, carrying a clutch of huge granite-gray eggs between them in a blanket. They placed them carefully at the Horntail's side. Hagrid let out a moan of longing.

"I've got them counted, Hagrid," said Charlie sternly. Then he said, "How's Harry?"

"Fine," said Hagrid. He was still gazing at the eggs. And Naruto could see why just looking at the dragons Naruto was amazed by them.

"Naruto, come on." Harry said and Naruto was brought out of his thoughts of dragons and they began to walk away, back to the castle. As they walked Naruto wondered not how he could get pass the dragon but which spells would best suit him for the job. Now more then ever was he feeling grateful for the training he had done the summer.

"Harry wait – look." And just in time was Naruto able to stop them from crashing in to Karkaroff who was making his was back to the Durmstrang Ship form the forest.

"Looks like everybody knows not." Said Harry

"Good a fair fight." Naruto said excitedly. And once they had reached the Entrance Hall they parted way.

"I'll let you know what Sirius has to say." Harry told him from under his cloak.

"Right you better hurry back, send Sirius my regards." Naruto said as Harry vanished before his eyes. Turning towards the dungeons Naruto started his journey back to the Slytherin common room.

Naruto got up like he typically did on Sunday and headed out for his morning workout before returning back to the castle for a quick shower and then breakfast. the Great Hall wasn't as full today due to the fact that many people like to sleep in on Sunday.

"Naruto over here." Looking round he spotted Ginny waving him over next to her where Luna, Hermione, and Yuna all sitting together at the Gryffindor table.

"Morning," Naruto said as he took the open seat next to Luna who was feeding Yuna some ham and stated to fill up his plate with food.

"So, what did Hagrid want last night." Luna asked as she took a bite out of some toast. At this Ginny look around at the three of them demanding answers while Hermione looked at the Ravenclaw warningly.

"Relax Hermione, everyone will know by Tuesday and Karkaroff and Madame Maxime already know." Naruto explained hoping to calm down his friend.

"Oh, alright then." Hermione said in defeat.

"Well what going on Naruto." Ginny asked now very as the three of them lead forward to listen to him.

"Dragons. The first task is having to get past dragons." Naruto said simply as he continued to eat. And Naruto told them about the different dragons He and Harry had seen last night. Just as he finished his tale Harry finally showed up looking a bit sick to his stomach. He sat down at the table with them but didn't eat.

They all looked at him, Ginny was almost close to tears when they decided to get up and head out of the Great Hall and on to the grounds as they took a long walk around the lake Harry told them about everything Sirius had said. Alarmed as she was by Sirius's warnings about Karkaroff, Hermione still thought that the dragons were the more pressing problem.

"Let's just try and keep both of you alive until Tuesday evening," she said desperately, "and then we can worry about Karkaroff." They walked three times around the lake, trying all the way to think of a simple spell that would subdue a dragon. Nothing whatsoever occurred to them, so they retired to the library instead to help Harry.

"What about you Naruto, aren't you worried at all this." Hermione asked exasperatedly as they stated to pull down every book they could find on dragons.

"Well no, not really. I mean I spent all summer going through the restricted section and every spell book I could find. I already know plenty of spells that can help me with a dragon, but Harry doesn't have the time or the magic to master them." Naruto said simply as he took a few more books down form some shelves.

"Oh – Right. . . I forgot – I suppose." Hermione said and she really did, it really wasn't hard to forget that Naruto was extremely powerful and very gifted with magic. He was just not the kind of person so go around a showoff about it.

When Harry returned to the table with a pile of spellbooks, set them down, and began to flick through each in turn, Hermione whispering nonstop at his elbow.

"Well, there are Switching Spells . . . but what's the point of Switching it? Unless you swapped its fangs for wine-gums or something that would make it less dangerous. . . . The trouble is, like that book said, not much is going to get through a dragon's hide. . . . I'd say Transfigure it, but something that big, you really haven't got a hope, I doubt even Professor McGonagall . . . " Hermione said

"Unless you're supposed to put the spell on yourself ? Maybe to give yourself extra powers? But they're not simple spells, I mean, we haven't done any of those in class, I only know about them because I've been doing O.W.L. practice papers. . . ." Luna said as she flipped through a few pages of her book. And so they worked on till Victor Krum showed up and Hermione decided to call it quits which Naruto and Harry where more than willing to do. parting ways Naruto walked Luna to Ravenclaw town before heading down to the Slytherin common room and calling it a night. The following day things seem to progress same as normal well as normal as can be. Harry, Naruto, and Hermione were making their way down to the greenhouse for lessons talking about how they were going to get pass the dragons they where stopped by professor Moody.

"Come with me, Potter," he growled. "You two, off you go."

"Er — Professor, I'm supposed to be in Herbology —" Hermione stated to say

"Never mind that, Potter. In my office, please. . . ." and as Moody and Harry stated to walked way Naruto and Hermione where left to go back to.

"Oh, I hope Harry isn't in trouble." Hermione said anxiously

"Don't worry Hermione, maybe Moody didn't hear us talking about the first task, that no one is supposed to know about yet." Naruto her hoping to cheer her up but instead she only looked more and more worried.


	14. Chapter 14

The past few days seemed to move fly by as Naruto, Hermione, and Luna took it in turn to help Harry master the summoning charm. The atmosphere in the school was one of great tension and excitement. Lessons were to stop at midday, giving all the students time to get down to the dragons' enclosure — though of course, they didn't yet know what they would find there. All they while Luna never left his side, something he was very grateful for.

Naruto fell in an odd calmness as watched everyone around him. Time was behaving in a more peculiar fashion than ever, rushing past in great dollops, so that one moment he seemed to be sitting down in his first lesson, History of Magic, and the next, walking into lunch . . . and then Professor Snape was walking calmly over to him in the Great Hall, Lots of people were watching.

"Uzumaki, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now. It is almost time for the first task to begin." Severus said, and felling his hand getting squeezed Naruto looked over to see Luna giving him an encouraging smile.

"Great," Naruto said as they started to get up but were stopped by Professor Snape. "Only the champions have been summoned, Miss. Lovegood will have watch in the stands like everyone else." Snape told him coolly. Luna didn't say anything but leaned over and planed a light kiss no Naruto's whiskered cheek

"Good luck out there." And she walked off towards Ginny and Hermione. He left the Great Hall with Professor Snape.

"So, I little birdy told me Karkaroff was able to avoid a life sentence. can I assume the same can be said about you?" Naruto said not bothering to look at his head of house. As he walked him down the stone steps and out into the cold November afternoon. Naruto wondered if Harry would be alright.

"I do look forward to this – Uzumaki. . . Good luck." Snape told him. he was leading him toward the place where the dragons were, around the edge of the forest, but when they approached the clump of trees behind which the enclosure would be clearly visible, Harry saw that a tent had been erected, its entrance facing them, screening the dragons from view.

"You're to go in here with the other champions," said Professor Snape in a rather shaky sort of voice, "Mr. Bagman is in there he'll be telling you the procedure."

"Thanks," said Naruto, as Snape left him at the entrance of the tent. Once inside Naruto saw Fleur Delacour was sitting in a corner on a low wooden stool. She didn't look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Viktor Krum looked even surlier than usual, which Naruto supposed was his way of showing nerves. A moment later the tent open again and turning round he saw that it was Harry who had finally made it.

"Harry! Good-o!" said Bagman happily, looking around at him. "Come in, come in, make yourself at home!" Bagman looked somehow like a slightly overblown cartoon figure, standing amid all the pale-faced champions. He was wearing his old Wasp robes again.

"Well, now we're all here — time to fill you in!" said Bagman brightly. "When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each of you this bag" — he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them —

"from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different — er — varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too . . . ah, yes . . . your task is to collect the golden egg!" Naruto glanced all around. Harry had nodded once, to show that he understood Bagman's words, and then started pacing around the tent; he looked slightly green. Fleur Delacour and Krum hadn't reacted at all. Perhaps they thought they might be sick if they opened their mouths.

"Great so how go's first." Naruto said happily and Harry along with Fleur and Krum looked at him like he was crazy. And in no time at all, hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of feet could be heard passing the tent, their owners talking excitedly, laughing, joking

Bagman was opening the neck of the purple silk sack.

"Ladies first," he said, offering it to Fleur Delacour. She put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon — a Welsh Green. It had the number two around its neck. And Harry knew, by the fact that Fleur showed no sign of surprise, but rather a determined resignation, that he had been right: Madame Maxime had told her what was coming.

The same held true for Krum. He pulled out the scarlet Chinese Fireball. It had a number three around its neck. He didn't even blink, just sat back down and stared at the ground.

"Here goes nothing." Said Naruto as he reached into the sack out came the blueish-gray Swedish Short-Snout, the number one tied around its neck. Knowing what was left, Harry put his hand into the silk bag and pulled out the Hungarian Horntail, and the number four. It stretched its wings as he looked down at it, and bared its minuscule fangs.

"Well, there you are!" said Bagman. "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I'm going to have to leave you in a moment, because I'm commentating. Mr. Uzumaki, you're first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right?

Naruto went to go stand by the entrance ready to exit out the moment is name was called. then he heard the whistle blow. He walked out through the entrance of the tent, the panic rising into a crescendo inside him. And now he was walking past the trees, through a gap in the enclosure fence.

He saw everything in front of him as though it was a very highly colored dream. There were hundreds and hundreds of faces staring down at him from stands that had been magicked there since he'd last stood on this spot. And there was the Swedish Short-Snout is an attractive silvery-blue dragon. at the other end of the enclosure, crouched low over her clutch of eggs The flame that issues from its nostrils is a brilliant blue, her wings half-furled, her evil, yellow eyes upon him. The crowd was making a great deal of noise.

"Alright lets see what you can do." said Naruto as he flicked his wrist and grabbed his wand as it shoot out from his arm holster.

"_**Bombarda!" **_

Called out Naruto as he pointed this wand at the ground and blasted the ground at his feet. Earth and rock were sent flying. "I do hope Mr. Uzumaki realize his target is the dragon." Bagman said as the crowed stated to laugh along

_** "Engorgio!" **_

Naruto said as about a dozen fist size pieces of rock and earth grow to be the size of large beach balls, all the while the Swedish Short-Snout was watching him carefully. "I hope I say this right." Naruto thought as swished and flicked his wand

_**"Wingardium Leviosa!"**_

The boulders started to rise up off the ground and thrusting his wand forward they rocketed towards the dragon with such force and speed it looked like several dark blurs where moving through the air. The Swedish Short-Snout didn't have time to move or breath fire as this body was smashed over and over. "Clever move ladies and gentlemen." Said Bagman as the crowed erupted in the shouts and cheers.

Naruto didn't take his eyes off the dragon as this stated to shack off the last bits or rock and dirt from its head before turning its attend back at Naruto. Barring its large razor-sharp fangs at him Short-Snout sent a massive jet of brilliant blue flames at him.

_**"Protego Diabolic!" **_

Naruto traced the ground round him with his wand as a protective ring of black fire came to life just in time to stop the dragons fire. The crowd gasped in shock and wonder. "Good lord can you believe what here seeing folks." Bagman called out as the Short-Snout stopped it attack. Moving his wand around his head in a counterclockwise rotation Naruto cancel the spell.

_**"Avis!" **_

Naruto called out as he ran straight as the dragon a sound like a gun shot followed by a flock of birds emerged from his wand tip. The dragon didn't know what to do as the birds started to peck and dive bomb it's head. Moving quickly Naruto ran at the eggs while the dragon was distracted. Diving at the ground Naruto was able to grab the Golden Egg however the Short-Snout was already finished with the birds.

"shit." Naruto called out as the dragon whipped its tail around and caught him off guard. There was a sickening snap and the bone in Naruto's left arm broke clean in too as he was slammed to the ground. just a few feet away from the dragon.

"My lord some get the dragon handlers quick." Bagman called as everyone watching was starting to panic. Before the first handler could jump into the enclosure the Short-Snout was already upon him. Time seemed to freeze at that moment as Naruto rolled on his back and stared the angry dragon in the eyes, the was a loud ringing in his ear and his vision a become blurred.

"NARUTO!" clear thought the shouts of Bagman and the crowed Naruto heard her voice calling out to him. Luna was out their watching him, Luna was about to watch him die, he couldn't let that happened because that would make Luna sad.

**"NO"** the dark voice called out only this time it was Naruto speaking as typhoon of anger engulfed his body and a new strength filled his body.

_**"LUMOS MAXIMA!" **_

A blinging flash of bright white light erupted form Naruto's wand right into the dragons eye's it fell backwards cries of agony as he thrashed around the enclosure madly. Scrambeling to his feet Naruto lepped forward and consentrating all of his power to one spot he pressed the tip of his wand right above the dragons heart.

_**"CONFRINGO!" **_

There was a soft popping sound right before the dragon simply fell to the ground life less. Seeing its light leaving the dragon seemed to bring Naruto back. He looked around and realized everyone was looking at him again. No one cheered for him no one knew what to make of him. Arm broke, blood running form his head and ears. Naruto simply turned around picked up his egg and started to walk back to the champions tent. About halfway to the tent the dragon handlers stepped aside to give him room, but he stopped when he saw the redhead form last night

"Sorry, Charlie I – I didn't mean for this to happen." Naruto said as he continued to lip away. He felt terrible he never meant to kill the dragon. "Very good indeed!" Bagman was shouting. "And now the marks from the judges!" But he didn't stop to find out what his marks where; Naruto supposed the judges were holding them up and showing them to the crowd.

"One down, three to go!" Bagman yelled as the whistle blew again. "Miss Delacour, if you please!"

"Uzumaki the first aid." And looking round Naruto saw that it was Professor Snape that was called out to him. Naruto limped out of the enclosure, still panting, and saw Madam Pomfrey standing at the mouth of a second tent, looking worried.

"Dragons!" she said, in a disgusted tone, pulling Naruto inside. The tent was divided into cubicles; Madam Pomfrey examined Naruto's arm and head, talking furiously all the while. "Last year dementors, this year dragons, what are they going to bring into this school next? You're very lucky. . . it'll need cleaning before I heal it up, though. . . ."

She cleaned the cut with a dab of some purple liquid that smoked and stung, but then poked his head with her wand, and he felt it heal instantly next she did the same with his arm.

"Thank you. . . Poppy." Naruto said quietly and this caused the old nurse to stop in her track and looked even more worried at him. Naruto decided to lay down he wasn't hurt, but he didn't feel like moving around. He didn't know how long he was there but the sound of rushing footsteps drew his attention to the mouth of the tent.

"_it had happened again and this time he lost himself in anger and killed."_ Naruto thought as he wished he could understand what was happening to him.

"Naruto." Luna called out worry written all over her face as he rushed into the tent and though her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Naruto I – I was so. . . so worried when the dragon almost. . . I – I just don't know what I would do. . . if something would have happened." Luna said though tears as Naruto tried his best to calm her down, which wasn't much seeing at this was the first time he had a girl crying in his arms.

"Don't worry Luna I'm ok really." Naruto tried to tell her as he awkwardly tried to pat her back.

"No your not. . . I know your not. . . but I'm just glade your ok." Luna said as she hugged him tighter and Naruto hugged her back grateful that she understood what he was feeling now with needing to say it.


	15. Chapter 15

The rest of the day went by in a haze as Naruto held on tightly to Luna's hand like it was a lifeline thrown to him in a raging ocean. From the rest of the champions competing to Harry and Ron finally make up and being friends again, he just felt to drained to think about anything. He had lost himself to his anger again and killed he felt unclean and sick to his stomach. Harry, Ron, and Hermione tried to speak with him, but Luna told them all he wasn't felling well at the moment. Naruto couldn't bring himself to face them he fears of the past was stopping him.

"Naruto, Professor Dumbledore is here." Luna told him quietly and looking up Naruto say the aged headmaster looking down at him concern in his eyes.

"Miss. Lovegood would you be so kind as to help Naruto to my office." Dumbledore said gently as he help Naruto to his feet.

"Yes headmaster – come along Naruto." Luna said and together they walked away from the forest up the lawn, through the castle and right in too Dumbledore's office. Naruto was so unfocused he didn't even realize they had already made it till Dumbledore and Moody walked into the office.

"Naruto I need you tell me what happened in the enclosure after you were hit by the dragon." Dumbledore asked as he sat down behind his desk and looked calmly at him, but Professor Moody was looking suspiciously at Naruto.

"Dumbledore the bigger question here is how was a fourth year able to cast a powerful dark spell." Moody growled "Maybe the answer to who put Potter's name in the goblet of fire was right in front of us the whole time." This snapped Naruto out of his daze as he turned to stare angrily at Moody. But Luna got to him first.

SLAP

"How dare you, Naruto would never to anything that would put his friends in danger." Said Luna angrily as her small body shock with rage her had still raised high in the air and a small handprint stating to become visible on Moody's face.

"Alastor." Dumbledore said warningly and Naruto got up form his seat and grabbed a hold of Luna before she could hit the defense Professor again.

"Miss. Lovegood five points form Ravenclaw." The headmaster said before turning back to Moody.

"Any spell used by Naruto today he learned while spending his summer holiday at Hogwarts, and there isn't another person I trust more then this honest young man." Dumbledore said as calmly, Naruto could help feeling a swelling of pride at his words.

"Now, Naruto if you could please tell me what happened."

"Well everything happened so fast, but at the same time things were moving in slow motion. I saw the handlers running in to the enclosure, everyone yelling, and the dragon about to take my head off. Then I – I felt angry. . . angrier than I've ever felt." Naruto paused not wanting to say it was Luna's scared voice that set him off.

"Then what happened." Dumbledore asked

"I felt power. . . I never felt so strong before in my life – but I. . . I didn't want to kill they dragon I – I couldn't control the power, it just happened." Naruto finished as he looked up at the headmaster by now Luna was back at his side holding his hand as the talked.

"Naruto with your permission I would like to tell Professor Moody." Dumbledore said as he sent a knowing look at Naruto before turning to look at Moody and Luna.

"Dumbledore what in the blue blazes is going on." Moody demanded frustratedly, clearly not happy about being left in the dark about something important.

"Yeah its fine Luna knows already." Naruto said and so Dumbledore brought Moody up to speed on Naruto's real past.

"Merlin's beard this could explain how the boy is immune to the Imperious curse." Moody said sounding amazed.

"Now I may have a theory about what might be going on, but I believe negative emotions are what trigger these episodes you are having. However, that is the best we can do now till we can better understand your power." Dumbledore said, Naruto wished the headmaster could have thought of more he didn't understand what was going on, but he did understand this was something know for him and Naruto.

"Now, I do believe hour housemates are waiting for that they may celebrate your passing victory in the first task." Dumbledore said he made the golden egg Naruto had grabbed from the dragoon appear out of thin air. "This Golden egg will be your clue for the next task." Golden egg in hand Naruto and Luna walked silently for longest time.

"Luna." Naruto said quietly as he stopped once they reached the landing for Ravenclaw tower.

"If you want to brake up. . . I understand you – "

SLAP

Whatever Naruto was about to say next was stopped when Luna slapped him in the face. Naruto was stun silent by her action. But her next action completely caought him off guard when she through her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Nevermind." Naruto said stupidly an he saw the angry look Luna was giving him, which quickly turned to a dreamy smile.

"Good boy." Said hold him happily as she skipped away towards the Ravenclaw classroom.

The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Drafty though the castle always was in winter, Naruto was glad of its fires and thick walls every time he passed the Durmstrang ship on the lake, which was pitching in the high winds, its black sails billowing against the dark skies. He thought the Beauxbatons caravan was likely to be pretty chilly too. Hagrid, he noticed, was keeping Madame Maxime's horses well provided with their preferred drink of single-malt whiskey; the fumes wafting from the trough in the corner of their paddock was enough to make the entire Care of Magical Creatures class light-headed. This was unhelpful, as they were still tending the horrible skrewts and needed their wits about them.

"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Hagrid told the shivering class in the windy pumpkin patch next lesson. "Thought we'd jus' try an' see if they fancied a kip . . . we'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes. . . ."

There were now only ten skrewts left; apparently their desire to kill one another had not been exercised out of them. Each of them was now approaching six feet in length. Their thick gray armor; their powerful, scuttling legs; their fire-blasting ends; their stings and their suckers, combined to make the skrewts the most repulsive things Harry had ever seen. The class looked dispiritedly at the enormous boxes Hagrid had brought out, all lined with pillows and fluffy blankets.

"We'll jus' lead 'em in here," Hagrid said, "an' put the lids on, and we'll see what happens."

But the skrewts, it transpired, did not hibernate, and did not appreciate being forced into pillow-lined boxes and nailed in. Hagrid was soon yelling, "Don' panic, now, don' panic!" while the skrewts rampaged around the pumpkin patch, now strewn with the smoldering wreckage of the boxes. Most of the class — Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle in the lead fled into Hagrid's cabin

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, however, were among those who remained outside trying to help Hagrid. Looking round Naruto saw that the skrewts where getting out of hand.

"_Cyttorak"_

Several crimson binds sprang forth from Naruto's wand and restrained0 nine of the skrewts, though at the cost of numerous burns and cuts; finally, only one skrewt was left. "Don' frighten him, now!" Hagrid shouted as Ron and Harry used their wands to shoot jets of fiery sparks at the skrewt, which was advancing menacingly on them, its sting arched, quivering, over its back.

"Jus' try an' slip the rope 'round his sting, so he won' hurt any o' the others!"

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that!" Ron shouted angrily as he and Harry backed into the wall of Hagrid's cabin, still holding the skrewt off with their sparks. Once Hagrid and the remaining Gryffindors secured the skrewts Naruto canceled his spell.

"Well, well, well . . . this does look like fun." Rita Skeeter was leaning on Hagrid's garden fence, looking in at the mayhem. She was wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar today, and her crocodile-skin handbag was over her arm. As Rita talked with Hagrid and Harry, Naruto wondered if she was going to ask him questions about the dragon.

"Don't worry she's gone." Said Hermione as she looked behind the wooden box Naruto had ducked under.

"Thanks, Hermione." Naruto said as he stood back up.

"Naruto is everything ok. . . I don't mean to prai but after the first task you. . ." Hermione tried to find the words but was having some trouble.

"It's fine Hermione, I honestly don't really know." Naruto told her and as they walked back up to the castle with Ron and Harry, Naruto filled them in on what happened to him after the first task.

"Wait so Luna slapped Professor Moody." Hermione said sounding mortified at the idea the rest of the day passed in its typical fashion Divination ending with Harry's typical death prediction.

"Wait so the house elf Harry freed in his second year Dobby is now working at Hogwarts with Mr. Crouches elf Winky." It was the following Thursday and Harry, Ron were sitting in the back of Transfiguration catching Naruto up on last nights events in the school kitchens.

"Potter! Weasley! Uzumaki! will you pay attention." Professor McGonagall's irritated voice cracked like a whip causing all three to jump. It was the end of the lesson; they had finished their work; the guinea fowl they had been changing into guinea pigs had been shut away in a large cage on Professor McGonagall's desk (Neville's still had feathers); they had copied down their homework from the blackboard ("Describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches").

The bell was due to ring at any moment, and Harry and Ron, who had been having a sword fight with a couple of Fred and George's fake wands at the back of the class, looked up, Ron holding a tin parrot and Harry, a rubber haddock.

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," said Professor McGonagall, with an angry look at the pair of them as the head of Harry's haddock drooped and fell silently to the floor — Ron's parrot's beak had severed it moments before —

"I have something to say to you all. The Yule Ball is approaching — a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above — although you may invite a younger student if you wish —" she said looking over at Naruto

Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle. Parvati Patil nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she too fought not to giggle. They both looked around at Harry. Professor McGonagall ignored them, which Harry thought was distinctly unfair, as she had just told off him and Ron.

"Dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then —" Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the class. "The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to — er — let our hair down," she said, in a disapproving voice. Lavender giggled harder than ever, with her hand pressed hard against her mouth to stifle the sound

"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall went on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."

The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders. Professor McGonagall called above the noise,

"Potter — Uzumaki a word, if you please." Wondering what was going on both teens looked at each other before proceeded to the teacher's desk. Professor McGonagall waited until the rest of the class had gone, and then said,

"Potter, Uzumaki the champions and their partners —"

"What partners?" said Harry. Professor McGonagall looked suspiciously at him, as though she thought he was trying to be funny.

"Your partners for the Yule Ball, Potter," she said coldly. "Your dance partners."

"Dance partners?" He felt himself going red. "I don't dance," he said quickly.

"Oh yes, you do both of you," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "That's what I'm telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball."

"I'm not dancing," he said.

"It is traditional," said Professor McGonagall firmly. "You are a Hogwarts champion, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So, make sure you get yourself a partner, Potter." After being excused from the classroom both teens headed down to the Great Hall for dinner.

"Relax Harry you just faced a dragon getting a girl to go to a ball with you will be easy." Naruto said as he tried to reassure his nervous looking friend.

"Hey what about Ginny, she likes you." Naruto said looking thoughtfully "How better to make a fool of yourself trying to dance then with someone who wont mind." Naruto said.


	16. Chapter 16

"Why do they have to move in packs?" Harry asked Ron and Naruto as a dozen or so girls walked past them, sniggering and staring at Harry and Naruto.

"How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?" Harry asked frustrated at the idea of going up to a grope of girls. Naruto was surprised that so many people to put their names down to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. everyone in the fourth year and above seemed to be staying, and they all seemed to be obsessed with the coming ball — or at least all the girls were, and it was amazing how many girls Hogwarts suddenly seemed to hold; he had never quite noticed that before. Girls giggling and whispering in the corridors, girls shrieking with laughter as boys passed them, girls excitedly comparing notes on what they were going to wear on Christmas night. . . .

"Lasso one?" Ron suggested. "Got any idea who you're going to try?" Harry didn't answer, but Ron seemed to know what was going on inside Harry's head.

"Listen, you're not going to have any trouble. You're a champion. You've just beaten a Hungarian Horntail. I bet they'll be queuing up to go with you." Ron said and looking over at Naruto's questioning face he clarified "Cho Chang, harry fancies her."

Naruto was glade at his friends recently repaired friendship, Ron had been able to keep the bitterness in his voice to a bare minimum. Moreover, to their amazement, he turned out to be quite right.

A curly-haired third-year Hufflepuff girl to whom Harry had never spoken in his life asked him to go to the ball with her the very next day. Harry was so taken aback he said no before he'd even stopped to consider the matter. The girl walked off looking rather hurt, so naturally Naruto, Dean, Seamus, and Ron teased him about her all through History of Magic.

Harry wasn't the only one to be asked as right after History of Magic Naruto was approached by Cho Chang much to his confusion.

"Hello Naruto." Cho asked as she walked over to him, Harry and Ron.

"Oh, hi Cho how's your day going so far." Naruto asked as he made small talk. Now that he was talking with her up close, he could see why Harry had a crush, she was indeed very pretty.

"Fine, just on my way to Charms." Cho said, "Can I talk with you for a moment."

"Here why don't I walk you to Class." Said Naruto before turning to his friends "I'll catch up with you in a minute." And he and Cho walked off towards Flickwick's classroom.

"So, Cho what was it you wanted to talk about." Naruto asked once they had turned the corner.

"Naruto, I wanted to aske you if you would like to go to the ball with me." Cho asked and this was a surprise to Naruto that he almost tripped over his own feet.

"What but why, I'm with Luna every Ravenclaw knows that." Said Naruto

"I know your seeing Loony Lovegood, but maybe you should someone a bit – more normal." Cho said completely missing the angry look growing on Naruto's face.

"Right." Naruto said in a low voice as he tried to hold back his anger. "So, asking out someone in a relationship normal enough for you. Sorry but I have to go." Naruto told her as he turned around and walked back to his friends.

"that was fast." Said Ron after he had managed to catch up with them as they reached the staircases. "What did she want?" as calmly as possible Naruto explained to them what had happened. He was still angry at the way Cho had talked about Luna. Harry was also shock at her actions he never thought Cho would do something like that, but then again, he didn't really know Cho Chang outside of Quidditch.

The following day, two more girls asked him, a second year and (to his horror) a fifth year who looked as though she might knock him out if he refused asked Harry to the ball but luckily for Naruto no one asked him anymore.

"She was quite good-looking," said Ron fairly, after he'd stopped laughing.

"She was a foot taller than me," said Harry, still unnerved. "Imagine what I'd look like trying to dance with her." On the whole, thing where vastly improving for him and his friends after the first task Harry was wasn't attracting nearly as much unpleasantness in the corridors anymore.

The last week of term became increasingly boisterous as it progressed. Rumors about the Yule Ball were flying everywhere, though Naruto didn't believe half of them — for instance, that Dumbledore had bought eight hundred barrels of mulled mead from Madam Rosmerta. It seemed to be fact, however, that he had booked the Weird Sisters. Exactly who or what the Weird Sisters were Naruto didn't know, never having had access to a wizard's wireless, but he deduced from the wild excitement of those who had grown up listening to the WWN (Wizarding Wireless Network) that they were a very famous musical group.

Some of the teachers, like little Professor Flitwick, gave up trying to teach them much when their minds were so clearly elsewhere; he allowed them to play games in his lesson on Wednesday, and spent most of it talking to Harry about the perfect Summoning Charm and Naruto's advance spell work they had used during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Other teachers were not so generous. Nothing would ever deflect Professor Binns, for example, from plowing on through his notes on goblin rebellions — as Binns hadn't let his own death stand in the way of continuing to teach Professors McGonagall and Moody kept them working until the very last second of their classes too, as did Snape,

However, things took a turn when the following morning during breakfast several people in the Great Hall where stating to send side glances at Naruto and soon almost everyone was looking at him with great suspicion. Not really understand what was going on Naruto finished his meal and left to go meet up with Lune to work on his egg clue when he was stopped by Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Hey guys." Naruto greeted them happily but stopped at the looks on there faces.

"Oh, Naruto it just awful." Hermione said as she handed him a copy of that mornings _Daily Prophet_. "look at what that horrible woman has done."

_**DUMBLEDORE'S DARK SECRAT**_

_**Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Has never been one to back down form doing what is right. Writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. As anyone who has been following the events of the Tri-Wizard Tournament is aware of Naruto Uzumaki. The second Hogwarts champion and best friend of Harry Potter was formally being raised as an assassin till he was banished from his home for reasons unknown. However, this sweet bright eye boy is not who he or Albus Dumbledore what you to believe. The Daily Prophet had now unearthed evidence that Naruto Uzumaki it not – as he as pretended – a pure-blood wizard or pure human. Our readers will do well to remember Naruto has whiskers on his face, which could be a sign of some kind of half-breed or know mutation of lycanthropy. Having just started at Hogwarts school last year after his mysterious arrival, was able to single handedly kill a fully-grown dragon a task no single person was ever been able to do. Naruto has performed advanced spell work and a mastery over dark magic no average fourth year student should be capable of. A charismatic personality, blond hair, blue eyes, and personal relationship with Albus Dumbledore one can't help but see the resemblance to Gellert Grindelwald. Seeing how Dumbledore failed to deal with the dark wizard till the 1940's after countless deaths, and his inability to stop He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named it is no wonder the wishes to keep a close eye on this trained killer. One only had to witness the evil energy that radiated form the boy when he effortlessly killed the dragon. "He's not human." Says a terrified student who wish to stay anonymous. "Theirs time's when he loses his temper and becomes blood thirsty." Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his friend— but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the danger of this non-human."**_

Naruto finished reading the paper and looked up at Harry, Ron, and Hermione who were looking anxiously at him. and to their shock he stated to laugh out loud.

"Wow, that rich." Naruto finally said after he finished catching his breath. "it's a bit much don't you think." He finished telling them

"Aren't you mad." Asked Ron

"Naruto, everyone will know." Hermione said anxiously as.

"Guys don't worry, really its fine." Naruto told them as he started to had out to the lake where he had plan to meet up with Luna.

"How is this not a big deal for you." Harry asked not able to understand his friends thinking

"If I don't let this bother me and I act like nothings wrong everyone will do the same." Naruto said but saw they still had their doubts. "Trust me guys if you put up good enough mask people will only see what you want them to see." And with that he took off towards the lake.

"Sorry I'm late." Naruto told Luna as he walked up to blond Ravenclaw who was reading the same Daily Prophet had just read.

"Oh, Naruto do you really have lycanthropy." Luna said excitedly as Naruto sat down on the grass next to her.

"lie-cat-theropy? What that." Naruto asked her, to which she started to giggle, he loved the sound she made.

"No silly lycanthropy, it means you're a Werewolf." She clarified

"Sorry just plain old me." Naruto told her earnestly.

"Well that's more then enough." she brought her hand up to his cheek started to run her thumb across and to both their surprises a soft and low grumbling started to sound form deep within Naruto's chest involuntarily. He had just purred; Naruto could purr just like a cat. Luna then proceeded to test if both cheeks had the same result and after several meaning of purring Naruto had to stop her so he could catch his breath.

"Okay Luna, so where's the egg?" Naruto asked as he looked around.

"Oh, that I opened it up, but you can't understand mermish unless its's underwater." Luna told him as she pointed to a spot in the lake. Looking at the lake and back to her. Edging closer to the water Naruto cold see the golden egg just under the surfers of the water.

"You need to put your head under too," said Luna encouragingly "Go on!" Naruto took a great breath and slid under the surface — and now, he heard a chorus of eerie voices singing to him from the open egg:

"_Come seek us where our voices sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_And while you're searching ponder this:_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_And to recover what we took,_

_But past an hour — the prospect's black,_

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."_

Naruto lifted his head back upward from the water, shaking his hair out of his eyes.

"Did you hear it?" said Luna

"Yeah . . . 'Come seek us where our voices sound . . .' and if I need persuading . . . hang on, I need to listen again. . . ." He sank back beneath the water

"I've got to go and look for people who can't use their voices above the ground. . . ." he said slowly "Luna are their _merpeople_ in the lake."

"Oooh, very good," she said, "Yes a community of merpeople live in the black lake."

"That's it, isn't it?" said Harry excitedly. "The second task's to go and find the merpeople in the lake and . . . and . . ." But he suddenly Naruto realized what he was saying, and he felt the excitement drain out of him as though someone had just pulled a plug in his stomach. Luna was going to be in danger because of him.

"Don't worry Naruto." Luna said as she saw the growing concern on Naruto's face. "I know you won't let anything happen to me." But Naruto wasn't listening; he was thinking about the merpeople's song again. _"We've taken what you'll sorely miss."_


	17. Chapter 17

The Hogwarts staff, demonstrating a continued desire to impress the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, seemed determined to show the castle at its best this Christmas. When the decorations went up, Naruto noticed that they were the most stunning he had yet seen inside the school. Everlasting icicles had been attached to the banisters of the marble staircase; the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armor had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them. It was quite something to hear "O Come, All Ye Faithful" sung by an empty helmet that only knew half the words. Several times, Filch the caretaker had to extract Peeves from inside the armor, where he had taken to hiding, filling in the gaps in the songs with lyrics of his own invention, all of which were very rude.

"I suppose there's always Moaning Myrtle," Naruto said cheerfully on Friday morning, referring to the ghost who haunted the girls' toilets on the second floor. Harry and Ron still hadn't managed to secure partners for the ball and they were both starting to get very nervous.

"Harry — we've just got to grit our teeth and do it," Ron said in a tone that suggested they were planning the storming of an impregnable fortress. "When we get back to the common room tonight, we'll both have partners – agreed?"

"Er . . . okay," said Harry as they got up and headed off to class. The rest of the day went by with out a hitch, he even managed to get high marks just under Hermione on Snape's Potions test. When the bell rang, he grabbed his bag and hurried out the dungeon door along with everyone else.

"I'll meet you at dinner," Harry said to them, and he dashed off upstairs.

"Wonder where he's off to?" said Naruto as he, Hermione, and Ron headed to the Great Hall, but they were stopped when Neville came up to them and stopped Hermione.

"Go on ahead you two, I'll be right there." Hermione told then

"Yeah okey, come on Ron." Naruto said as they both wondered what had gotten I to everyone today. Once they reached the Entrance Hall Naruto, and Ron stated to make their way through the crowd of students all trying to get to dinner.

"Allo' Nar'to." Called out a light airy voice and looking over Naruto saw why had called him.

"Oh, hello Fleur." Naruto said as he greeted the Beauxbatons champion. "

"Nar'to, will you go to ze ball with me." Fleur asked as she started to smile at him and flick her hair form side to side, but before Naruto even had time answer her Ron cut him off.

"WILL YOU GO TO THE BALL WITH ME!" Her blurted out to not just his surprise but everyone's in the Entrance Hall. Fleur just looked at him like a particularly nasty slim before turning back to Naruto expectantly.

"Right. . ." Naruto said turning away form Ron. "sorry Fleur, but I have a girlfriend and I don't think she would like me taking another girl to the ball." Naruto told her as he watched Ron run off up the marble staircase. Fleur just tuned and walked away looking rather irritated.

"Naruto where is Ron heading off too." Asked Hermione as she finally made it up to the Entrance Hall from the dungeons.

"Yeah about that, I'm not entirely sure what up with Ron.' Naruto as he and Hermione headed into the Great Hall for dinner.

Despite the very heavy load of homework that the fourth years had been given for the holidays, Naruto had meet up with Hermione and Luna in the library to knock it all out in one day. this made the week leading up to Christmas enjoyable. Snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds now. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid's cabin, while the Durmstrang ship's portholes were glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost. The house-elves down in the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savory puddings,

At dinner that evening Naruto got a letter form Ron's tinny owl pig. People passing by the Slytherin table were pointing and laughing, and a group of third-year girls paused and said, "Oh look at the weeny owl! Isn't he cute?" Pigwidgeon hooted happily as Naruto grabbed a hold of and took the letter address to him.

_Dear Naruto, _

_Congratulations on getting past the Short-snout Harry tells me you where the fastest champion to do so. Don't get complacent, though, Naruto I tell you this as your friend however grateful I am to you for helping me last year – I must tell you dark magic for any reason can corrupt the soul. on keeping yourself out of trouble. Keep in touch, I still want to hear about anything unusual._

_Sirius _

_PS why haven't you told me you were seeing Luna Lovegood – just don't do anything . . . too reckless. _

After dinner Naruto meet up with Luna and Hermione and showed them the letter from Sirius

"He has a point Naruto." Hermione told him earnestly " Just wants what is best for you." And Luna agreed with her on that point.

"Well I'll go to owlery tomorrow and write him." Naruto said " I don't fell like having to turn down another person for the ball." At this all three laughed.

Naruto awoke like he always did bright and early Christmas' day was no exception pulling back the curtains around his four-poster, and spotted the large pile at the foot of his bed. he had received a lot more this year then last, but he was till grateful for even one. Hermione had given Naruto a book called _**Wandless magic a beginner's guide.**_ Ron, a bag of Dungbombs; Sirius a key attached to a small plastic motorbike charm and a note, Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Hagrid, a vast box of sweets including all Naruto's favorites: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Fizzing Whizbees. There was also, of course, Mrs. Weasley's usual package, including a new sweater blue, with a picture of a orange dragon on, and a large quantity of homemade mince pies. A nice pair of dark green dragon-hide glove form Draco, more sweets form Pansy, Millicent and Dauphine. A new cloak form Basile. However, the present Naruto had like the most was the one from Luna it was a photo in a handsome silver and green frame. The photo was that of Naruto surrounded by all his friends Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, the twins Fred and George, Hagrid, Dumbledore, next to Naruto was Luna and they were all smiling and waving at him. attached to the picture was as a note written in small loopy writing Naruto recognized right away as Luna's

_Remember you always have a family_

_Luna_

Naruto was so overjoyed it was like a balloon was swelling in his chest, he was so happy that several tears fell as he looked at the photo one more time. Naruto quickly throwing on his Weasley sweeter left the Slytherin common room to go and meet up with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna at the Entrance Hall and together they when into the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Luna thank you for the present I love, and you guys too I really appreciate them." Naruto said as he turned to his friends." Naruto told them as they left the Great Hall.

"Don't worry about it was noting really." Harry said smiling and Ron nodded his head in approval.

"Yes, I love your present Naruto." Said Ginny "Me too, thank you Naruto" Added Hermione. this year for Christmas Naruto had gotten all the girls elegantly bejeweled hair clips. seafoam for Ginny, light-rose for Hermione and sky blue for Luna. As they went their separate ways Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione went back up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower, Naruto and Luna decided to take a stroll down to the grounds and along the forest.

"You know I really love my present." Luna said as she and Naruto they moved along the Black Lake hand-in-hand her new hair clips shimmering in the sunlight.

"I thought that you might." Naruto said happily "the man in the shop said they would keep the Nargles away." At this Luna smile brightly at him. then returned to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers. They went out onto the grounds in the afternoon; the snow was untouched except for the deep channels made by the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students on their way up to the castle. Hermione and Luna chose to watch Naruto, Harry, and the Weasleys' snowball fight and at five o'clock said she was going back upstairs to get ready for the ball.

"What, you need three hours?" said Ron, looking at her incredulously and paying for his lapse in concentration when a large snowball, thrown by George, hit him hard on the side of the head. There was no Christmas tea today, as the ball included a feast, so at seven o'clock, when it had become hard to aim properly, the others abandoned their snowball fight and trooped back to their common rooms.

'Uzumaki, where have you been?" said Draco who was already wearing dress robes of black velvet with a high collar. Crabbe and Goyle were both wearing `green; they resembled moss-colored boulders, Basile as in a set of deep velvet robes.

"Snowball fight with the Gryffindor's" Naruto said as he started to throw on his own dress robes. Dumbledore had been able to precure him a nice set of honey colored dress robs.

"Naruto, don't you look dashing." Said Pansy as he stepped out into the common room with the rest of the Slytherins. It looked strange; the common room full of people wearing different colors instead of the usual mass of black.

"thanks Pansy, you look very nice tonight." Naruto said Pansy Parkinson who was waiting for Draco by the fireplace, she looked very pretty indeed in a frilly robes of pale pink.

"Yes, they really do bring out the blue of your eyes." Said Daphne Greengrass in a set of deep chocolate robes, Millicent was stand close by in forest green ones. Naruto was starting to become bashful at the girls complements which caused them to brake out into a fit of giggles.

"Come on let's get going." Said Draco and they all started to file out of the dungeons. The entrance hall was packed with students too, all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another. Naruto started to look around for Luna.

He spotted Harry and Ron with Padma who was in robes of shocking pink, with her long dark plait braided with gold, and gold bracelets glimmering at her wrists, and Parvati robes of bright turquoise standing around awkwardly together, he waved to them as he started to walk over. As he moved through the crowed, he saw Fleur Delacour was passing, looking stunning in robes of silver-gray satin, and accompanied by the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain. The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied Hermione.

But she didn't look like Hermione at all. She had done something with her hair; it was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, somehow — or maybe it was merely the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back. She was also smiling — rather nervously. Naruto smiled and waved at her.

"Hey, have any of you seen Luna?" Naruto asked as he continued to scan the Entrance Hall.

"No sorry." Said Harry as Ron was still to busy looked for someone.

"Naruto, look." Parvati told him as she pointed to the top of the marble staircase. Turning his head towards the direction she was pointing at Naruto's breath caught in his throat. Luna Lovegood, hair had been done into a thick elegant brad that fell over her slender shoulder. She was wearing flowing robes of ocean-blue, she had on light gray eye shadow and her cheeks and lips were a soft light pink. Naruto wasn't the only one who was dumbfounded by Luna, as Naruto cold see several of the people who used to pick on Lune where now looking at her in astonishment.

"Hello Naruto." Said Luna once she had reached the foot of the stairs.

"Wow, Luna you look amazing – not that you didn't before – I mean." Naruto tried to say as he stumbled over his words

"You look very dashing." Luna told him as she offered him her hand which he gladly accepted. Just than Professor McGonagall's voice called out over the crowd. "Champions over here please!" Parvati readjusted her bangles, beaming; she and Harry said "See in a minute" to Ron and Padma and walked forward, the chattering crowd parting to let them through

"Ready to go." Naruto said to Luna as she looped her arm around his and they started to follow the rest of the champions into the Great Hall.


	18. Chapter 18

Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting

The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.

Naruto looked around the hall in amazement. Luna seemed to be enjoying herself; she was beaming around dreamily, He caught sight of Ron and Padma as he neared the top table. Ron was watching Hermione pass with narrowed eyes. Padma was looking sulky it wasn't just her, but he spotted Cho Chang and every other girl who has asked him to the ball looking the same way.

Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Ron's as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars, was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley.

When the champions and their partners reached the table, Dumbledore drew out the empty chair beside him.

"Hello Albus." Naruto greeted as he pulled out Luna's chair

"Good evening Naruto, Miss Lovegood." Dumbledore said happily

"Hello Headmaster, the Great Hall looks amazing I hope no Nargles." Luna said as she looked at the hanging mistletoe with concern.

"Not to worry my dear all the mistletoe has been protected with special charms." Dumbledore said as he winked at Naruto; Luna let out a sigh of relief Naruto couldn't help but smile.

"So Albus get anything good for Christmas?" Naruto asked as Luna stated to make small talk with Fleur.  
"As a matter of fact my dear brother Aberforth sent me a nice sampler of goat cheese." Dumbledore said.

"Well that was nice of him." Naruto knowing how distant the two Dumbledore brothers where with one another.

"Yes, if only I wasn't allergic to goat cheese." Dumbledore said and he and Naruto stated to brake out in to fits of laughter.

There was no food as yet on the glittering golden plates, but small menus were lying in front of each of them. Naruto picked his up uncertainly and looked around — there were no waiters. Dumbledore, however, looked carefully down at his own menu, then said very clearly to his plate, "Pork chops!"

And pork chops appeared. Getting the idea, the rest of the table placed their orders with their plates too. Naruto glanced up at Hermione to see how she felt about this new and more complicated method of dining — surely it meant plenty of extra work for the house-elves? She was deep in talk with Viktor Krum and hardly seemed to notice what she was eating. It now occurred to Naruto that he had never actually heard Krum speak before, but he was certainly talking now, and very enthusiastically at that.

"Veil, ve have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking," he was telling Hermione. "Ve have just four floors, and the fires are lit only for magical purposes. But ve have grounds larger even than these — though in vinter, ve have very little daylight, so ve are not enjoying them. But in summer ve are flying every day, over the lakes and the mountains —"

"Now, now, Viktor!" said Karkaroff with a laugh that didn't reach his cold eyes, "don't go giving away anything else, now, or your charming friend will know exactly where to find us!"

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Igor, all this secrecy . . . one would almost think you didn't want visitors."

"Well, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff, displaying his yellowing teeth to their fullest extent, "we are all protective of our private domains, are we not? Do we not jealously guard the halls of learning that have been entrusted to us? Are we not right to be proud that we alone know our school's secrets, and right to protect them?"

"Oh I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts' secrets, Igor," said Dumbledore amicably.

Meanwhile Fleur Delacour was criticizing the Hogwarts decorations to Roger Davies. "Zis is nothing," she said dismissively, looking around at the sparkling walls of the Great Hall. "At ze Palace of Beauxbatons, we 'ave ice sculptures all around ze dining chamber at Chreestmas. Zey do not melt, of course . . . zey are like 'uge statues of diamond, glittering around ze place. And ze food is seemply superb. And we 'ave choirs of wood nymphs, 'oo serenade us as we eat. We 'ave none of zis ugly armor in ze 'alls, and eef a poltergeist ever entaired into Beauxbatons, 'e would be expelled like zat." She slapped her hand onto the table impatiently.

"That dose sound nice but is there a point to it." Luna asked looked over her, Naruto was amazed how Lunas simple question left Fleur speechless. Naruto looked around the Hall. Hagrid was sitting at one of the other staff tables; he was back in his horrible hairy brown suit and gazing up at the top table. Harry saw him give a small wave, and looking around, saw Madame Maxime return it, her opals glittering in the candlelight.

Hermione was now teaching Krum to say her name properly; hekept calling her "Hermy-own."

"Her-my-oh-nee," she said slowly and clearly. "Herm-own-ninny."

"Close enough," she said, catching Naruto's eye and grinning. When all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it.

The Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause; they were all extremely hairy and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn. They picked up their instruments.

"Ready?" Naruto said as he grabbed hold of Luna's hand and lead them out on to the Brightly lit dance floor along with the other champions. The Weird Sisters struck up a slow, mournful tune. Everyone was looking at them, but Naruto only had eyes for Luna and the got in position. Placing a hand around her waist and taking her small slender hand fermly in his they started to dance in rhythm to the music.

"This isn't so bad." Naruto said as he and Luna moved in slow unison. "Dancing – I man."

"No, one can certainly grow a custom to this." Luna said as she moved closer to him and rested her had on his shoulder. Soon many of them too had come onto the dance floor, so that the champions were no longer the center of attention. Neville and Ginny were dancing nearby — he could see Ginny wincing frequently as Neville trodon her feet.

Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin; however, she moved very gracefully for a woman so large. Mad-Eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg.

"you know something," Naruto said as he moved them around the dance floor. "If this is your first-time dancing your very good."

"Well, daddy always said love can make people do incredible things." Luna said offhandedly but her remark almost trip over himself.

"What?" Naruto asked in shock, but The Weird Sisters stopped playing, applause filled the hall once more.

"Oh, this is a really good one!" Luna said as the Weird Sisters struck up a new song, which was much faster. Naruto agreed with her as they broke apart and started to dance fast and close. looking around Naruto saw Fred and Angelina, who were dancing so exuberantly that people around them were backing away in fear of injury. Naruto pointed this out to Luna and they both laughed.

The second song had ended and once more everyone clapped, and Naruto just now noticed how hot it was now.

"Care for a drink Luna." Naruto asked

"Oh, yes please." Luna said ash she walked over to talked with Ginny as he went over to the punch bow to get them some drinks. The table that housed the punch bowl was loaded with several large platers of all kinds of different finger-foods and other boys who had gone off to fetch their dates drinks.

"_Daddy always said love can make people do incredible things."_ He remembered _"love." _Looking over Naruto saw Luna, Ginny, and Hermione huddled up together very animatedly together and sending looks his ways. Naruto was sudden reached with a new sense of panic he never faced before in his life. and quick as a shadow the second a talking group of boys he vanished form sight of the girls.

"Professor McGonagall, I need your help." Naruto said in a panic, Minerva was so surprised by the sudden arrival of Naruto as her side she jumped a little.

"Mr. Uzumaki you gave me quite a fright." Professor McGonagall said sternly.

"Her this way." Naruto gut her off as he took her by the hand and lead them to the dance floor where he started to dance with her. "We can't let them see."

"Merlin's beard, Mr. Uzumaki what is the meaning of this." McGonagall started to say

"I think Luna just said she loved me." Naruto told her in a panic. And Minerva understood immediately. "Tell me what happened." And quickly as possible Naruto explained everything as best as he could.

"I understand, but what seems to be the problem." Minerva told him "it's simple do you care for the girl."

"Of course, I do – but." Naruto started to say

"then I really don't see the problem, Mr. Uzumaki." Professor McGonagall told him. "Brave and Powerful as any wizard can be, they will always be dense when it comes to the simplest of things." And as the song came to a close Professor McGonagall looked downed kindly at Naruto.

"You did a brave thing that day in the forest by telling Miss. Lovegood the truth, can't you see she is doing the same it is never an easy thing the truth." And it his Naruto like a bolt of lightning.

Was it so hard to love Luna Lovegood, they day in the forest when they talked and talked he felt a spark grow between them the he learned of her crush. Soon they were dating, and he was happy, happy to have someone like that. Things quickly changed from there too after their first real kiss more then he realized they had. It really wasn't so hard to love Luna Lovegood.

"Minerva you're a genius." Naruto said excitedly as he took off across the dance floor trying to find Luna. After several minutes of searching and growing anxiety with no luck. He spotted Ginny at a table nursing an injured foot.

"Ginny where is Luna?" Naruto asked but Ginny just looked up at him in anger

"Oh, it you," Ginny stated coldly. "I thought you were different from everyone else how – "but Naruto cut her off midstream.

"Ginny, I messed up, please where is she." Said Naruto and Ginny saw the sincerity in his eyes.

"she's outside." Moving quickly and shouting a thanks over his shoulder he moved out the Great Hall through the Entrance Hall and out the front doors. An area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights — meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there.

The fluttering fairy lights in the rose garden winked and twinkled as they went down the front steps, where they found themselves surrounded by bushes; winding, ornamental paths; and large stone statues. Naruto could hear splashing water, which sounded like a fountain. Here and there, people were sitting on carved benches.

He set off along one of the winding paths through the rosebushes but had gone only a short way when a sound had never wished to hear reached him. moving more along the path he spotted Luna sitting alone at a carved bench drying her puffy red eyes.

"Luna." Naruto called out as he walked up her, she quickly turned her head to dry her eyes more.

"Oh, Naruto sorry it Nargles are aggravating my eye." She told him, but she wouldn't look at him when she talked.

"it's silly really, to think that you and me." She started to say.  
"Luna, Luna please look at me." Naruto said as he gently lifted her chin up.

"I love you Luna Lovegood." Naruto said and here surround by roses and under fluttering fairy lights Naruto kissed her and to his joy and relief she kissed him back. After they broke apart Naruto was happy to see she was smiling again, he hoped he would never have to see her crying again.

"Come on." Naruto told her and her offered her a hand and pulled her off the bench. "the night is still you and we have a ball to get too." And Luan Lovegood smile her dreamy smile he Naruto had unwittingly fallen in love with.


	19. Chapter 19

Everyone got up late on Boxing day. the Slytherin common rom was much quieter then it had been lately, many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations. It was time now to think of the homework they had neglected during the first week of the holidays, Well at least not for him. Everybody seemed to be feeling rather flat now that Christmas was over

February the twenty-fourth looked a lot closer from this side of Christmas, and now Naruto had some new to worry about. Luna, the second task would have Luna put in danger and he had to find a way to save her. When the first day of the new term arrived, and Harry set off to lessons, weighed down with books, parchment, and quills as usual.

Snow was still thick upon the grounds, and the greenhouse windows were covered in condensation so thick that they couldn't see out of them in Herbology. Nobody was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures much in this weather, though as Ron said, the skrewts would probably warm them up nicely, either by chasing them, or blasting off so forcefully that Hagrid's cabin would catch fire.

When they arrived at Hagrid's cabin, however, they found an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin standing before his front door.

"Hurry up, now, the bell rang five minutes ago," she barked at them as they struggled toward her through the snow.

"Who're you?" said Ron, staring at her. "Where's Hagrid?"

"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," she said briskly. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry repeated loudly.

"He is indisposed," said Professor Grubbly-Plank shortly. Soft and unpleasant laughter reached Naruto's ears. He turned; Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins were joining the class. All of them looked gleeful, and none of them looked surprised to see Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"_Great this looks like trouble."_ Naruto thought to himself as he and the rest of the class followed Grubbly-Plank around the paddock where the Beauxbatons horses were shivering.

"Oh it's so beautiful!" many of the girls called out. Looking up Naruto hand been so focused he never noticed what everyone was looking at. The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head.

"What d'you reckon's wrong with him? You don't think a skrewt — ?" Naruto could hear Ron start to ask Harry.

"Oh, he hasn't been attacked, Potter, if that's what you're thinking," said Malfoy softly. "No, he's just too ashamed to show his big, ugly face." Draco's voice came next, but Naruto was still transfixed on looking at the unicorn, never had he ever seen something so pure in his entire life.

The moment Naruto locked eyes with the unicorn it was like something passed between him and it. suddenly the unicorn stomped its golden hooves as it let out an angry yell. All the girls backed away from the raging magical beast Professor Grubbly-Plank was thrown back by a powerful kick from the unicorn's hind legs. The whole class was in chaos as everyone started to run away in every possible direction to get away from the unicorn. what happened next would be something everyone would talk about for years and years to come.

'Awwwahhh!." Cried out Naruto in pain as a long thirteen-inch horn was driven deep into his chest. The unicorn throw its head back and shock Naruto around violently in the air before tossing him hard against the paddock fence.

"_immobulus!. . . . ."_

". . . . .Naruto! Hold on!"

". . . . .Oh my God, what are we going to do!. . . . ."

All around him Naruto could hear people yelling and screaming the ringing in his ears made it hard to identify who was talking. His head was spinning, and his vision was starting to get darker and darker till finally everything went black.

". . . . . Naruto. . . . ."

". . . . . How is he. . . . . he's still alive. . . . ."

". . . . .Worried about you. . . . ."

The morning light was shinning thought the high windows of the hospital wing which was almost empty say for one bed that was occupied. The today was Sunday and Naruto Uzumaki were finally waking up.

"Oh, man what happened." Naruto said as he slowly started to sit up in his bed. he looked around the hospital wing. from the light in the room he was able to tell it was still very early in the morning. He thought back on the last thing he could remember.

"the unicorn." Naruto said to himself and lifting the top of his hospital wing gown Naruto saw that his chest was bandaged up. gingerly he moved his fingers over the spot where the horn had pierced him and winced in pain as he barely touched it.

"ouch." And Naruto stayed there for a moment before throwing off his bedsheets and getting up out of bed. "better get out before Poppy wakes up." Naruto said quietly to himself as he tiptoed out of the hospital wing and made his way down to the Great Hall. The castle was still empty as he moved through the corridors and down the staircases and across the Entrance Hall.

Once inside the Great Hall, Naruto saw that the long house table where set with plates and goblets but no food. Sitting down at the empty Slytherin table, Naruto looked down the empty table he suddenly remembered the Yull Ball.

"Breakfast." Naruto clearly called out and to his joy food appeared in front of him. the next few hours Naruto slowly eat due to the pain in his chest. He had finished his fourth place of food when the Great Hall door where thrown open.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" called out a very familiar voice, however this was the first time he had ever heard it sound angry before. Turing his head in the direction of the doors Naruto saw Luna Lovegood, a very angry Luna Lovegood.

"Hey – Luna." Naruto said nervously as he watched his girlfriend march up to him. As she got closer, he started to back away a bit more nervous, then she pulled out her wand

"_Accio Naruto!"_

Suddenly Naruto felt a great pull, like he was a piece of metal being drawn to a powerful magnet and flow a few feet right in to the waiting arms of Luna

"I – I thought. . . .I was so worried." Luna said as she burred her face in to his still injured chest and began to cry for him. Naruto didn't know what hurt more at that moment his bandaged chest, or his heart for making Luna cry like this form him.

"Hey, it's ok Luna – really I'm fine now." Naruto told her as he held her close to him trying to comfort her as best as he could. Just then she let go of him and

SLAP!

The sound of Luna's small hand making contact with Naruto's face rang out clear in the Great Hall

"You – are – so. . . . so." Naruto was shocked Luna was so angry her small body was shaking with rage, just like when she slapped Moody back in the headmaster's office. What happened next was another shock as Luna throw her arms around his neck and pulled him in for kiss. This time Naruto was able to recover and pulling her closer he deepened the kiss.

"I missed you too." Naruto said smiling once they had broken apart, Luna just smile dreamily at him.

"Your luck to be alive young man." said Madam Pomfrey sternly as she moved about his bed looking him over. "Run though by a fully-grown unicorn." Naruto was back in the Hospital Wing, after Luna insisted, he go back and get looked over the school nurse.

"So how long was I out this time Poppy?" Naruto asked as his bandages where changed out and he a good look at where the unicorn got him. there was a scare just above his heart about the size of a galleon. "Three weeks." She told him once she was done with his bandages.

"Three weeks are you serious." Naruto asked shocked at how long he had been at the Hospital Wing.

"A unicorn attack is no laughing matter young man. Unicorns are very magical creatures and dangerous" Madam Pomfrey told him as the doors of the Hospital Wing opened wide, it was Dumbledore.

"Naruto, I'm glade your finally awake." Said Albus as he walked over to Naruto.

"Albus what happened, to me" Naruto asked once Madam Pomfrey finished with him. "why did it take so long to heal." Naruto never told Dumbledore, but this kind of injury was noting new to him, back in the leaf village this was a regular occurrence, but never did it take this long for him to heal. The headmaster waited for Madam Pomfrey to walked back in her office before taking a seat on the bed next to Naruto's.

"Yes, I have wondered about that about myself, and I believe I have come up with a suitable theory." Dumbledore took a moment to clean his glasses. "Naruto, I believe your more recent episode of rage and your healing ability are connected."

"Wait, but how can that be?" Naruto didn't really understand.

"Naruto do you know what happens when you drink the blood of a unicorn?" Dumbledore asked and Naruto had to think about it.  
"Yeah, it will heal you but your cursed, to a half-file."

"Correct and the reason for that is because it is a pure creature." Dumbledore said "Naruto these past three weeks your body healed at an even slower rate that the average human. The unicorn attacked you because whatever causes your body to heal and gives you strength when your angry is and unnatural evil." Dumbledore finished.

Naruto stayed silent was this the real reason everyone hated him in the leaf village, was there something wrong with him was he really a demon like everyone used to call him. just then he felt Luna squeeze his hand tightly looking up he gave him a sympathetic look, she must have known what he was thinking.

"So. . . . so I'm I e – evil." Naruto said in a small quite voice he instantly hated.

"Naruto you are not evil." Luna said defiantly.

"Miss. Lovegood is right Naruto, just look at the things you have do in your short time at this school, helping to save a man's life, stopping bullying all over the school, always trying to keep your friends safe. Naruto you are not evil, reckless yes but not evil." Dumbledore said and all three had a small laugh.

The following day Naruto was allowed to leave the Hospital Wing, and with Luna he was now walking back down to the Great Hall.

"Naruto! Your back." Called out Harry, Ron, and Hermione called out the following morning when the saw Naruto and Luan walking to heather hand-in-hand in to the great hall. And looking around Naruto saw that almost everyone was looking at Naruto with shock and wonder.

"Hey guy, how's it going." Naruto said innocently. Leaving the great hall together Harry, Ron, and Hermione brought Naruto up to speed on what had been happening the last few weeks that he was in the Hospital Wing.

At the moment they where at the very back of the Charms class with a table to themselves. They were supposed to be practicing the opposite of the Summoning Charm today — the Banishing Charm. Owing to the potential for nasty accidents when

objects kept flying across the room, Professor Flitwick had given each student a stack of cushions on which to practice, the theory being that these wouldn't hurt anyone if they went off target. It was a good theory, but it wasn't working very well. Neville's aim was so poor that he kept accidentally sending much heavier things flying across the room — Professor Flitwick, for instance.

"Snape said Moody's searched his office as well?" Naruto whispered, his eyes alight with interest as he Banished a cushion with a sweep of his wand (it soared into the air and knocked Parvati's hat off). "Sorry."

"What . . . d'you reckon Moody's here to keep an eye on Snape as well as Karkaroff?" Ron asked

"Well, I dunno if that's what Dumbledore asked him to do, but he's definitely doing it," said Harry, waving his wand without paying much attention, so that his cushion did an odd sort of belly flop off the desk. "Moody said Dumbledore only lets Snape stay here because he's giving him a second chance or something. . . ."

"What?" said Ron, his eyes widening, his next cushion spinning high into the air, ricocheting off the chandelier, and dropping heavily onto Flitwick's desk. "Harry . . . maybe Moody thinks Snape put your name in the Goblet of Fire!"

"Oh Ron," said Hermione, shaking her head sceptically, "we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry's life, remember?" She Banished a cushion and it flew across the room and landed in the box they were all supposed to be aiming at. Naruto looked at Hermione, thinking . . . it was true that Snape had saved Harry's life once, but the odd thing was, Snape was a Death Eater, so what was his Endgame.


	20. Chapter 20

Today was the day, he woke up early and like he always did but it was to an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach. Slowly getting out of bed and getting dressed he moved out the Slytherin common room Naruto heaed up to the Great Hall to await the start of the second task. He didn't know how long he waited but he noticed that Ron, Hermione and Harry still handed shown up.

Much like before the Professor Snape walked over to him and lead him down to the second task only this time Naruto was such a mass or nerves that he couldn't bring himself to down talk his head of house.

As he pounded down the lawn, he saw that the seats that had encircled the dragons' enclosure in November were now ranged along the opposite bank, rising in stands that were packed to the bursting point and reflected in the lake below. The excited babble of the crowd echoed strangely across the water as Naruto walked to the other side of the lake toward the judges, who were sitting at another gold-draped table at the water's edge. Fleur, and Krum were beside the judges' table, waiting for the start of the task.

"Where's Harry?" Naruto asked as he looked around wondering were his friend was. As Naruto waited he started to get ready for his journey in to the Black Lake. Taking off his pants and shirts reviling the pair of orange swim trunks, Naruto received whistles and catcalls form the minutes later Harry finally showed up sprinting toward them.

"I'm . . . here . . ." Harry panted, skidding to a halt in the mud and accidentally splattering Fleur's robes.

"Where have you been?" said a bossy, disapproving voice. "The task's about to start!" Harry looked around. Percy Weasley was sitting at the judges' table — Mr. Crouch had failed to turn up again.

"Now, now, Percy!" said Ludo Bagman, who was looking intensely relieved to see Harry. "Let him catch his breath!" Dumbledore smiled at Harry, but Karkaroff and Madame Maxime didn't look at all pleased to see him

"Alright Harry?" Naruto asked as Bagman moved them a few more feet apart.

"Yeah," Harry panted, massaging his ribs.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One . . . two . . . three!"

The whistle echoed shrilly in the cold, still air; the stands erupted with cheers and applause; without looking to see what the other champions were doing Naruto pulled out his wand he brought the tip close to his mouth rotated it around his head.

_"Pulmonaqua!"_

Naruto preformed the Bubble-Head Charm with ease and squatting down low to the ground and kicking off hard he launched himself into the air high above the lake. Gracefully twisting his body, the he moved through the air Naruto penetrated the icy water of the lake fresh. The water was so cold it felt like stinging hot fire, throwing his hands in front of him he started to swim.

Naruto struck out once more propelling himself through the water. Thanks to the Bubble-Head charm noticing how clearly he could see thought the water, kicking and working his legs once more he started to dive deeper in to the depths of the lake.

Silence pressed upon his ears as he soared over a strange, dark, foggy landscape. He could only see ten feet around him, so that as he sped through the water new scenes seemed to loom suddenly out of the oncoming darkness: forests of rippling, tangled black weed, wide plains of mud littered with dull, glimmering stones. He swam deeper and deeper, out toward the middle of the lake, his eyes wide, staring through the eerily gray-lit water around him to the shadows beyond, where the water became opaque.

Small fish flickered past him like silver darts. Once or twice he thought he saw something larger moving ahead of him, but when he got nearer, he discovered it to be nothing but a large, blackened log, or a dense clump of weed. There was no sign of any of the other champions or merpeople.

Light green weed stretched ahead of him as far as he could see, two feet deep, like a meadow of very overgrown grass. Naruto was staring unblinkingly ahead of him, trying to discern shapes through the gloom . . . and then, without warning, something grabbed hold of his ankle.

Naruto twisted his body around and saw a grindylow, a small, horned water demon, poking out of the weed, its long fingers clutched tightly around Harry's leg, its pointed fangs bared — Naruto extended out his wrist and from his arm holster he catches his wand. By the time he had grasped it, two more grindylows had risen out of the weed, had seized Naruto other leg, and were attempting to drag him down.

_"Relashio!"_ Naruto shouted

From his wand, instead of sending sparks at the grindylows like when he had practiced the spell during his DADA class, it was instead pelted them with what seemed to be a jet of boiling water, for where it struck them, angry red patches appeared on their green skin. Naruto pulled his ankle out of the grindylows grip and swam, as fast as he could, occasionally sending more jets of hot water over his shoulder at random; every now and then he felt one of the grindylows snatch at his foot again, and he kicked out, hard; finally, he felt his foot connect with a horned skull, and looking back, saw the dazed grindylow floating away, cross-eyed, while its fellows shook their fists at Harry and sank back into the weed.

Naruto slowed down a little, slipped his wand back inside his arm holster, and looked around, listening again. He turned full circle in the water, the silence pressing harder than ever against his eardrums. He knew he must be even deeper in the lake now, but nothing was moving but the rippling weed.

"Luna!" Naruto called out in to the gloom of the lake as he set off once more, careful to swim a bit higher over the weed to avoid any more grindylows that might be lurking there. He swam on for what felt like at least twenty minutes. He was passing over vast expanses of black mud now, which swirled murkily as he disturbed the water. Then, at long last, he heard a snatch of haunting mersong.

_**"An hour long you'll have to look,**_

_**And to recover what we took . . ."**_

Naruto swam faster and soon saw a large rock emerge out of the muddy water ahead. It had paintings of merpeople on it; they were carrying spears and chasing what looked like the giant squid. Naruto swam on past the rock, following the mersong.

"_**. . . your time's half gone, so tarry not**_

_**Lest what you seek stays here to rot. . . ."**_

A cluster of crude stone dwellings stained with algae loomed suddenly out of the gloom on all sides. Here and there at the dark windows, Naruto saw faces. The merpeople had grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks. They leered at Naruto as he swam past; one or two of them emerged from their caves to watch him better, their powerful, silver fish tails beating the water, spears clutched in their hands.

"Luna!"

Naruto sped on, staring around, and soon the dwellings became more numerous; there were gardens of weed around some of them, and he even saw a pet grindylow tied to a stake outside one door. Merpeople were emerging on all sides now, watching him eagerly, pointing at his webbed hands and gills, talking behind their hands to one another. Naruto sped around a corner and a very strange sight met his eyes.

A whole crowd of merpeople was floating in front of the houses that lined what looked like a mer-version of a village square. A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Four people were bound tightly to the tail of the stone merperson.

Luna was tied between Hermione and Ron. There was also a girl who looked no older than eight, whose clouds of silvery hair made Naruto feel sure that she was Fleur Delacour's sister. All four of them appeared to be in a very deep sleep. Their heads were lolling onto their shoulders, and fine streams of bubbles kept issuing from their mouths.

Naruto sped toward the hostages, half expecting the merpeople to lower their spears and charge at him, but they did nothing. The ropes of weed tying the hostages to the statue were thick, slimy, and very strong he looked around many of the merpeople surrounding them were carrying spears. Moving past them he pulled out his wand once again and pointing it at the binds tieing down his friends.

"_Diffindo." _

Naruto used the severing charm to free everyone Luna, Hermione, Ron and the little girl floated, unconscious, a few inches above the lake bottom, drifting a little in the ebb of the water. Naruto looked around. There was no sign of any of the other champions. What were they playing at? Why didn't they hurry up? He turned back to Ron, Luna, Hermione and the girl.

"Incarcerous."

Once again Naruto pointed his wand at everyone else and conjured thick ropes that shoot out and tired them all together. At once, several pairs of strong gray hands seized him. Half a dozen mermen were pulling him away from Hermione, shaking their green-haired heads, and laughing.

"You take your own hostage," one of them said to him. "Leave the others . . ."

"No way!" said Naruto furiously

"Your task is to retrieve your own friend . . . leave the others . . ."

"There my friends too!" Naruto yelled, gesturing toward Ron and Hermione, Luna's head was on Hermione's shoulder; the small silver-haired girl was ghostly green and pale. Harry struggled to fight off the mermen, but they laughed harder than ever, holding him back. Naruto looked wildly around as the mermen just kept laughing. "Get out of my way!" Naruto shouted in hanger as the dark energy started to bubble forth from his body.

"_Reginpulsa!"_

Naruto conjured an omnidirectional shockwave that was so overpowered it stunned and blasted all the mermen in the vicinity. Once the mermen were out of the way Naruto darted forward and grabbing the end of the rope tying everyone together he started up towards the surface. It was very slow work. He could no longer use one of his hands.

Luna, Hermione, Ron and Fleur's sister were like potato-filled sacks dragging him back down. . . . He fixed his eyes skyward, though he knew he must still be very deep, the water above him was so dark. . . . and looking back down he saw several of the mermen starting to recover form his spell make their way towards him.

"No – no – no leave me alone!" Naruto called out his anger starting to swell deep with in him once more. And this time he started to notice the crimson-dark energy was starting to surround his body like a cloak. The power started to flow through him once again and he was now starting to rocked through the water faster the mermen could follow.

And then he felt his head break the surface of the lake; wonderful, cold, clear air was making his wet face sting; he gulped it down dispelling the Bubble-head charm, he, pulled Luna, Hermione, Ron, and the little girl up with him. The crowd in the stands was making a great deal of noise; shouting and screaming, they all seemed to be on their feet; Harry had the impression they thought that Ron and the little girl might be dead, but they were wrong . . . All of them had opened their eyes; the girl looked scared and confused, Ron merely expelled a great spout of water, blinked in the bright light, Hermione also wondered what was going on, however, Luna was smiling and gave Naruto a glowing look

"Luna are you ok, did they hurt you." Naruto asked Luna as he started to looked her over to see as if he was expecting to fine a life threating injury.

"I knew you would have me; I just knew it." and Not caring about his friends around him or the judges watching and the stands of students watching he swam over and kissed her passionately before turning to face everyone else.

"Naruto what did you do?" Hermione asked seriously.

"What did you bring her for?" said Ron " "Naruto, you prat," said Ron, "you didn't take that song thing seriously, did you?

"Oh, Naruto, Dumbledore wouldn't have let any of us drown!" Hermione said sympathetically

"The song said —" Naruto was now felling really stupid

"It was only to make sure you got back inside the time limit!" said Ron. "I hope you didn't waste time down there acting the hero!"

"But Naruto is a hero we should be grateful to have a friend who would do anything to save use." Luna said happily. Naruto knew he hand messed up, but even so he couldn't help but smile at the way Luna felt about him.

"C'mon, you guys." Naruto said shortly "let's go see how much trouble I'm in." he vanished the ropes and placing Fleur's little sister on his back they all started to make there way through the water and back to the bank where the judges stood watching.


	21. Chapter 21

Naruto's feeling of stupidity was growing. Now he was out of the water, it seemed perfectly clear that Dumbledore's safety precautions wouldn't have permitted the death of a hostage just because their champion hadn't turned up.

"Well sorry but the egg clue clearly made it sound like the thing the champions missed the most wound be lost forever." Naruto was in the medical tent arguing his case for what seemed like the umpteenth time. Dumbledore, Bagman, and Percy had quickly understood his reason for saving everyone, but Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, and Snape where still fighting with him.

All the champions had been called back out of the water and for past half hour the second task of the Tri-Wizard had been put on hold till they could come to a resolution about how to proceed.

"First Hogwarts has two Champions and Dumbledore is allowing this boy to do what ever he wants." Karkaroff said angrily as he looked over at Naruto who was too busy focusing on Luna to pay attention to Durmstrang Headmaster.

"Karkaroff, Dumbledore is not to blame, Uzumaki thinks he can to what every he wants." Snape interjected as he looked over at blond Slytherin.

"the Death Eaters are sticking together big surprise." Naruto said sarcastically as the was getting fed up with the pointless bickering

"Naruto that will be enough." Dumbledore said sternly as everyone around them looked shocked at what he had said, Karkaroff looked lived and Snape face became stony with rage.

"Look why don't you just give everyone the same score and I'll take a zero for this task." Naruto finally said as he turned to Dumbledore. Everyone one was shocked

"Naruto you can't that will put you in last place." Hermione said flabbergasted

"Are you mental." Ron said not able to believe what he was hearing.

"their right Naruto, I thought the same thing too." Harry said trying to get Naruto to change his mind

"Yes z'e boy is right Dumble-lydor." Madame Maxime agreed with Naruto as she looked over at the Hogwarts headmaster.

"I agree with the boy Dumbledore." Said Karkaroff. "this is the best way."

"Look you see problem solved." Said Naruto happy as he took Lunas hand and started to head out of the medical tent.

"Naruto wait, is this really what you want." Dumbledore asked

"Oh, don't worry Headmaster my Naruto is still going to win." Luna said in her dreamy sing-song voice. As her and Naruto started to walk back up to the castle hand-in-hand. He may not have come in first in points, and even if he did make a complete prat of himself, he was just glade to have Luna back. Now he had had to wait for June twenty-fourth for the final task.

One of the best things about the aftermath of the second task was that Naruto no longer had the lingering worry in the pit of his stomach over Luna being in danger. The worst was thing to come about the second task being over was how keen everyone but the Slytherins and his friends like to remind him of blunder that day on the lake.

"Man, Harry how do you put up with this." Naruto said as a grope is six year Hufflepuffs girls walked passed him and started to giggle wildly. He, Harry, Ron, and Hermione where on there way to class. Naruto noticed that Ron and Luna were starting to ger bit of the limelight. Naruto noticed Luna's version of events was the truth — Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Professor McGonagall's office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe, and would awake when they were back above the water. Ron on the other hand was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which he struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat him into submission before tying him up.

As they entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course. After breakfast on Friday morning Harry had received a letter from Sirius about meeting up at Hogsmeade.

"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?" said Ron incredulously.

"It looks like it, doesn't it?" said Hermione.

"I can't believe him," said Harry tensely, "if he's caught . . ."

"You worry too, much Harry." Naruto said "Remember only a hand full of people know sirius is an animagus.

"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" said Ron. "And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore." Once they had finally made it down to the dungeons for their final lesson of the afternoon — double Potions —

"There they are, there they are!" she giggled, and the knot of Slytherins broke apart. Harry saw that Pansy had a magazine in her hands — Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand.

"You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!" Pansy said loudly, and she threw the magazine at Hermione, who caught it, looking startled. At that moment, the dungeon door opened, and Snape beckoned them all inside.

Naruto, Hermione, Harry, and Ron headed for a table at the back of the dungeon as usual. Once Snape had turned his back on them to write up the ingredients of today's potion on the blackboard, Hermione hastily rifled through the magazine under the desk. At last, in the center pages, Hermione found what they were looking for. Harry and Ron leaned in closer. A color photograph of Harry headed a short piece entitled:

"I told you!" Ron hissed at Hermione once they had finished reading the article. "I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter! She's made you out to be some sort of — of scarlet woman!"

Hermione stopped looking astonished and snorted with laughter. "Scarlet woman?" she repeated, shaking with suppressed giggles as she looked around at Ron.

"It's what my mum calls them," Ron muttered, his ears going red.

"Wait but how did Rita know Victor asked you, I never saw her around the champions tent." Naruto said.

"How did you know that." Hermione said looking at Naruto questioningly,

"Sensative hearing." Naruto said pointing to his ear. "I can hear what the Slytherin's are whispering across the room." And looking over Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked up and saw the Slytherins, who were all watching her and Harry closely across the room to see if they had been upset by the article. Hermione gave them a sarcastic smile and a wave.

"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger," said an icy voice right behind them, and all three of them jumped, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."

Snape had glided over to their desk while they were talking. The whole class was now looking around at them; Malfoy took the opportunity to flash POTTER STINKS across the dungeon at Harry.

"Ah . . . reading magazines under the table as well?" Snape added, snatching up the copy of Witch Weekly. "A further ten points from Gryffindor . . . oh but of course . . ." Snape's black eyes glittered as they fell on Rita Skeeter's article. "Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings. . . ."

The dungeon rang with the Slytherins' laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled Snape's thin mouth. To Harry's fury, he began to read the article aloud.

" '_Harry Potter's Secret Heartache . . . dear, dear, Potter, what's ailing you now? 'A boy like no other, perhaps . . .' "_

Harry could feel his face burning. Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded ten times worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now.

" '_. . . Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope – "_

But Snape never got to finish the article as the magazine he was hold burst into flames, the dungeon fell silent as the potion master throw the burning magazine to the floor. Pulling out his wand the extinguished the flames and rounded on the guilty party.

"Uzumaki how dare you – "But Snape stopped once he got a looked at Naruto how was shaking with silent rage. It took a moment, but Naruto was able to calm down and regain control, but this point it became painfully obvious how everyone was staring at him.

"Get out. . . NOW." Snape said through gritted teeth and Naruto didn't need to be told twice as he grabbed his back and left the classroom with lightning speed. Once a safe enough distance Naruto leaned against the stone dungeon wall and collapsed to the floor. he stayed there for some time clutching his throbbing head, trying to ignore the pain he was felling in his chest. One thought running through his mined

"_What's happening to me." _

Avoiding his housemates was easy enough as they gave him a wide birth, So the next morning Naruto, Luna, Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the castle to find a weak silver sun shining down upon the grounds. The weather was milder than it had been all year, and by the time they had arrived in Hogsmeade, all five of them had to take off their cloaks and throw them over their shoulders.

"It's quite nice out today." Luna said as they went into Gladrags Wizardwear to buy a present for Dobby, where they had fun selecting the most lurid socks they could find, including a pair patterned with flashing gold and silver stars, and another that screamed loudly when they became too smelly. Then, at half past one, they made their way up the High Street, past Dervish and Banges, and out toward the edge of the village.

"Sirius sure know how to pick a hiding place said Naruto he had never been in this direction before. The winding lane was leading them out into the wild countryside around Hogsmeade. The cottages were fewer here, and their gardens larger; they were walking toward the foot of the mountain in whose shadow Hogsmeade lay.

"Hello, Sirius its very nice to meet you." Luna said as they turned a corner and saw a stile at the end of the lain. There waiting for them it's front paws on the top most bar. The very large, shaggy black dog turned and began to trot away form them across the scrubby patch of ground that rose to meet the rocky foot of the mountain. After some time the reached a narrow fissure in the rock. They all squeezed into it and found themselves in a cool dimly lit cave.

Tethered at the end of it, one end of his rope around a large rock, was Buckbeak the hippogriff. Half gray horse, half giant eagle, Buckbeak's fierce orange eye flashed at the sight of them.

"Luna you need to bow low and don't brake eye contact." Naruto said very seriously as they all of them bowed low to him and after regarding them imperiously for a moment, Buckbeak bent his scaly front knees and allowed Hermione and Luna to rush forward and stroke his feathery neck.

"He's very hansom." Luna said as he continued to pet Buckbeak. Just them the black dog transformed before their eyes; Sirius was wearing ragged gray robes; the same ones he had been wearing when he had left Azkaban. His black hair was longer than it had been when he had appeared in the fire, and it was untidy and matted once more. He looked very thin.

"Padfoot, took you long enough to get back." Naruto said happy to see his old friend.

"Kit, staying out of trouble." Sirius said as he and Naruto embraced each other like brother. "Now where is this mystery girl I've been told about." And looking around the cave Luna walked over to them.

"Hello Sirius Black, I'm Luna Lovegood." Luna introduced herself as she smiled dreamily at Sirius. "Naruto tells me you didn't murder a dozen muggles that very decent of you." Sirius gave looked from Naruto to Harry and back to Luna before breaking out into loud barks of laughter.

"Naruto, I like this one." Said Sirius as he wiped a tear from his eye, he had been laughing so hard.

"Thanks." Said Sirius as Harry pulled open his back and handed over the bundle of chicken legs and bread. grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and tearing off a large chunk with his teeth.

"I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself." He grinned up at Harry, but Harry returned the grin only reluctantly.

"What're you doing here, Sirius?" Harry said.

"Fulfilling my duty as godfather," said Sirius, gnawing on the chicken bone in a very doglike way. "Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a lovable stray."

"What if they catch you? What if you're seen?" Harry said voice full of worry.

"You Five and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus," said Sirius, shrugging, and continuing to devour the chicken leg. As Harry and Ron looked over the Daily Prophet Sirius had with him Naruto went over to pet Buckbeak with Luna and Hermione.

"Hey, buddy." Naruto said as he stroked the Hippogriff.

"Mind you, he did look ill, last time I saw him up close," said Harry slowly, still reading the story. "The night my name came out of the goblet. . . ."

"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?" said Hermione, an edge to her voice. She was stroking Buckbeak, who was crunching up Sirius's chicken bones. "I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now — bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him."

"Crouch sacked his house-elf?" asked Sirius in disbelief.

"Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup," said Harry, and he launched into the story of the Dark Mark's appearance, and Winky being found with Harry's wand clutched in her hand, and Mr. Crouch's fury. When Harry had finished, Sirius was on his feet again and had started pacing up and down the cave.

"Let me get this straight," he said after a while, brandishing a fresh chicken leg. "You first saw the elf in the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?" Sirius paced all around the cave in silence. Then he said, "Harry, did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?"

"Winky didn't steal that wand!" Hermione insisted.

"The elf wasn't the only one in that box," said Sirius

"When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?"

"Went to look in the bushes," said Harry, "but there wasn't anyone else there."

"Of course," Sirius muttered, pacing up and down, "of course, he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf . . . and then he sacked her?"

"What are you thinking Padfoot." Said Naruto

"If you want to know what a man's like take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

"D'you know Crouch, then?" said Harry.

Sirius's face darkened. He suddenly looked as menacing as he had the night when Harry first met him, the night when Harry still believed Sirius to be a murderer.

"Oh I know Crouch all right," he said quietly. "He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban — without a trial."


	22. Chapter 22

Yesterday visit with Sirius gave Naruto a lot to think about and reconfirmed a lot of other things that regarded Death Eaters. He always thought the light and the dark where so clear to tell apart but how could Mr. Crouch really to that to his own son. It was just so evil and sending Sirius to Azkaban without a trail, his biggest take away form the whole thing was why did Albus trust Snape so much.

The following morning after breakfast on Sunday Naruto, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna all went up to the Owlery to send a letter to Percy, asking as Sirius had Suggested, whether he had seen Mr. Crouch lately. After they headed down to the kitchen to give Dobby his new socks.

The house-elves gave them a very cheery welcome, bowing and curtsying and bustling around making tea again. Dobby was ecstatic about his present.

"Harry Potter is too good to Dobby!" he squeaked, wiping large tears out of his enormous eyes.

"You saved my life with that gillyweed, Dobby, you really did," said Harry.

"Wow this is incredible." Said Naruto looking around the kitchen,

"Oh, Right Dobby this is Naruto Uzumaki and Luna Lovegood there friends of mine." Said Harry introducing Naruto and Luna to Dobby.

"Hello Dobby it very nice to meet you." Said Luna

"Yeah, hey Dobby, Harry tells me you saved his life a few time." Said Naruto winking at his friend "You're a real hero." At this Dobby looked at if he was about to burst with tears of joy.

"Oh, No Sir Dobby is no hero sir but I is happy to meet friends of Harry Potter-Sir." Said Dobby

"Dobby, where's Winky?" said Hermione, who was looking around.

"Winky is over there by the fire, miss," said Dobby quietly, his ears drooping slightly.

"Oh dear," said Hermione as she spotted Winky. Harry looked over at the fireplace too. Winky was sitting on the same stool as last time, but she had allowed herself to become so filthy that she was not immediately distinguishable from the smoke-blackened brick behind her.

"Winky wants to go home. Winky still thinks Mr. Crouch is her master, sir, and nothing Dobby says will persuade her that Professor Dumbledore is her master now."

"Hey, Winky," said Harry, struck by a sudden inspiration, walking over to her, and bending down, "you don't know what Mr. Crouch might be up to, do you? Because he's stopped turning up to judge the Triwizard Tournament, we haven't seen him since the first task. The Daily Prophet's saying he's ill."

Winky swayed some more, staring blurrily at Harry. "Master — hic — ill?" Her bottom lip began to tremble.

"But we're not sure if that's true," said Hermione quickly.

"Master is needing his — hic — Winky!" whimpered the elf. "Master cannot — hic — manage — hic — all by himself. . . ."

"Winky is Mr. Crouch a bad man." Naruto asked as he knelt down at the house-elf's side. "I need to know why did he send his son to die in Azkaban." Naruto wanted answers.

"No you is — hic — not to be asking about – hic – my masters secrets." Winky squeaked indignantly.

"But why would he do that to his own son." Naruto asked again, but Winky was only becoming more and more distraught.

"Naruto, stop it." Luna said as she pulled her boyfriend way from the house-elf for a split second Naruto had the same look Harry, Ron, and Hermione saw that day in dubble potions class.

"R-right. . . sorry." Said Naruto as he turned back to Winky. "Winky I'm sorry if I upset you I didn't mean to. . ." Naruto appoligized to the poor house-elf.

"Naruto-sir is not needing to apologize to Winky sir." Dobby said

"Master is — hic — trusting Winky with — hic — the most important — hic — the most secret —Winky keeps — hic — her master's secrets You is — hic — nosing, you is."

"Winky must not talk like that to Harry Potter's friends!" said Dobby angrily.

"She's unhappy!" said Hermione, exasperated. "Why don't you try and cheer her up instead of covering her up?

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Hermione cried. "Listen to me, all of you! You've got just as much right as wizards to be unhappy! You've got the right to wages and holidays and proper clothes, you don't have to do everything you're told — look at Dobby!"

"Miss will please keep Dobby out of this," Dobby mumbled, looking scared. The cheery smiles had vanished from the faces of the house-elves around the kitchen. They were suddenly looking at Hermione as though she were mad and dangerous.

"We has your extra food!" squeaked an elf at Harry's elbow, and he shoved a large ham, a dozen cakes, and some fruit into Harry's arms. "Good-bye!" The house-elves crowded around Harry, Ron, and Hermione and began shunting them out of the kitchen, many little hands pushing in the smalls of their backs.

"You know I been thinking." Said Luna as she looked at the portrait of the fruit bowl. "What if Mr. Crouch hasn't been seen because you one isn't letting him." this thought have everyone something new to think about.

"she has a point." Said Ron "as crazy as it sounds."

"thank you, Ronald." Said Luna dreamily.

The next morning started like any other Naruto was sitting at the Slytherin table with Yuna. That suddenly there was a commotion and looking up from his plate of food at the breakfast table and saw Hermione taking flight out of the Great Hall.

"Hey what's going on with Hermione?" Naruto asked as he caught up with Harry and Ron.

"I warned her not to annoy Rita Skeeter!" Ron said as he and Harry told him about the angry fan mail she hand been sent.

Hermione didn't turn up for Herbology. As Harry and Ron left the greenhouse for their Care of Magical Creatures class, they saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle descending the stone steps of the castle. Pansy Parkinson was whispering and giggling behind them with her gang of Slytherin girls. Catching sight of Harry, Pansy called,

"Potter, have you split up with your girlfriend? Why was she so upset at breakfast?" they ignored them and made there way down to Hagrid's hut. Having finished there lessons on unicorns, next the were introduced to _Nifflers_, fluffy black creatures with long snouts. Their front paws were curiously flat, like spades.

"Naruto what's the matter." Asked Harry as he noticed Naruto stayed a little back from the rest of the class.

"Just being a bit cautious." Said Naruto as he looked at the creatures. "I'm sick of things trying to kill me." Halfway through the lesson Hermione showed up her hands were heavily bandaged.

"What yeh done ter your hands, Hermione?" said Hagrid, looking concerned. Hermione told him about the hate mail she had received that morning, and the envelope full of bubotuber pus.

"Aaah, don' worry," said Hagrid gently, looking down at her. "I got some o' those letters an' all, after Rita Skeeter wrote abou' me mum.

'_Yeh're a monster an' yeh should be put down.' 'Yer mother killed innocent people an' if you had any decency you'd jump in a lake.' "_

"No!" said Hermione, looking shocked

"Hagrid's right Hermione." Naruto said as he looked past her to the forest. "People with always hate what they don't understand."

Hate mail continued to arrive for Hermione over the following week, and although she followed Hagrid's advice and stopped opening it, several of her ill-wishers sent Howlers, which exploded at the Gryffindor table and shrieked insults at her for the whole Hall to hear. Even those people who didn't read Witch Weekly knew all about the supposed Harry-Krum-Hermione triangle now. Harry was getting sick of telling people that Hermione wasn't his girlfriend.

"Don't worry Hermione it will die down." Luna said, "Once every start learning about the secret army of animagus the Ministry of Magic is making." Ron and Harry looked at her in disbelief.

"Do they really?" Naruto asked amazed but Hermione stayed silent for some time. in not time at all the Easter Holidays came and went in no time at all with no farther incidents. They continued to send Sirius food packages on a regular basis and Naruto was amazed at how Hermione was able to research magical methods of eavesdropping and finish all of there homework.

The start of the summer term signaled the third and final task in the Triwizard Tournament for which he and Harry needed to prepare, but he still didn't know what they would have to do. Finally, in the last week of May, Professor McGonagall held both of them back in Transfiguration.

"You are to go down to the Quidditch field tonight at nine o'clock, Potter, Uzumaki" she told him. "Mr. Bagman will be there to tell the champions about the third task." So at half past eight Naruto left the Slytherin common room and reaching the Entrance Hall, and meeting up with Harry they started to make their way down to the Quidditch pitch.

"What d'you reckon it's going to be?" he asked Harry as they went together down the stone steps, out into the cloudy night.

"Fleur keeps going on about underground tunnels; she reckons we've got to find treasure."

"That wouldn't be too bad," said Harry, thinking that he would simply ask Hagrid for a niftier to do the job for him. They walked down the dark lawn to the Quidditch stadium, turned through a gap in the stands, and walked out onto the field.

The Quidditch field was no longer smooth and flat. It looked as though somebody had been building long, low walls all over it that twisted and crisscrossed in every direction.

"They're hedges!" said Harry, bending to examine the nearest one.

"Hello there!" called a cheery voice. Ludo Bagman was standing in the middle of the field with Krum and Fleur. Harry and Naruto made their way toward them, climbing over the hedges. Fleur beamed at Harry as he came nearer. Her attitude toward him had changed completely since he had saved her sister from the lake.

"Well, what d'you think?" said Bagman happily as Harry and Cedric climbed over the last hedge. "Growing nicely, aren't they? Give them a month and Hagrid'll have them twenty feet high. Don't worry," he added, grinning, spotting the less-than-happy expressions on Harry's faces, "you'll have your Quidditch field back to normal once the task is over! Now, I imagine you can guess what we're making here?"

"Maze," grunted Krum. "That's right!" said Bagman. "A maze. The third task's really very straightforward. The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the maze. The first champion to touch it will receive full marks."

"We seemply 'ave to get through the maze?" said Fleur.

"There will be obstacles," said Bagman happily, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Hagrid is providing a number of creatures . . . then there will be spells that must be broken . . . all that sort of thing, you know. Now, the champions who are leading on points will get a head start into the maze." Bagman grinned at Harry and Krum. "Then Miss Delacour will enter . . . then Mr. Uzumaki. But you'll all be in with a fighting chance, depending how well you get past the obstacles. Should be fun, eh?"

Naruto, who knew only too well the kind of creatures that Hagrid was likely to provide for an event like this, thought it was unlikely to be any fun at all. However, he nodded politely like the other champions.

"Very well . . . if you haven't got any questions, we'll go back up to the castle, shall we, it's a bit chilly. . . ." Bagman said as they walked back Victor asked to talk with Harry.

"I'll wait for you, Harry, shall I?" said Naruto

"No, it's okay, Naruto." Said Harry, Naruto just nodded his head and made his way back towards the castle with Fleur and Mr. Bagman.

"So, how is your sister doing." Naruto asked as he walked along side Fleur."

"She iz doin' well" Fleur said, despite the mishap Fleur was still grateful to him due to the fact that never made it past the Grindylows and like him thought the second task clue to be real. The continued to make small talk till they parted ways once they reached the Beauxbatons carriage.

"Zan'k you again Na'uto" Fleur said as he leand forward and gave Naruto a quick peck on the check before dashing into the carriage, Naruto stood here for a moment caught off guard before making his way back up to the castle.


	23. Chapter 23

The following morning Naruto and Luna was shocked to learn what had happened when Harry and Victor went to go talk by the forest.

"It comes down to this," said Hermione, rubbing her forehead. "Either Mr. Crouch attacked Viktor, or somebody else attacked both of them when Viktor wasn't looking."

"It must've been Crouch," said Ron at once. "That's why he was gone when Harry and Dumbledore got there. He'd done a runner."

"I don't think so," said Harry, shaking his head. "He seemed really weak — I don't reckon he was up to Disapparating or anything."

"You can't Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds." said Luna.

"Okay . . . how's this for a theory," said Ron excitedly. "Krum attacked Crouch — no, wait for it — and then Stunned himself!" "And Mr. Crouch evaporated, did he?" said Hermione coldly.

"then someone else had to have been out there watching you in the forest." Said Naruto, "back home they taught use the first thing you should to after killing an enemy behind is get ride of the body, so no one knows your there." Harry, Ron, and Hermione all shared a look of knowing, Naruto never really talked about his _"home"_ Luna just looked sad.

The rest of the day went by slow and When the bell finally rang, they hurried out of History of Magic into the corridors toward the Dark Arts classroom and found Professor Moody leaving it. He looked as tired as they felt. The eyelid of his normal eye was drooping, giving his face an even more lopsided appearance than usual.

"Professor Moody?" Harry called as they made their way toward him through the crowd.

"Hello, Potter," growled Moody. His magical eye followed a couple of passing first years, who sped up, looking nervous; it rolled into the back of Moody's head and watched them around the corner before he spoke again.

"Come in here." He stood back to let them into his empty classroom, limped in after them, and closed the door.

"Did you find him?" Harry asked without preamble. "Mr. Crouch?"

"No," said Moody. He moved over to his desk, sat down, stretched out his wooden leg with a slight groan, and pulled out his hip flask.

"Did you use the map?" Harry said.

"Of course," said Moody, taking a swig from his flask. "Took a leaf out of your book, Potter. Summoned it from my office into the forest. He wasn't anywhere on there. Could be anywhere," said Moody, shaking his head. "Only thing we know for sure is that he's not here."

He yawned widely, so that his scars stretched, and his lopsided mouth revealed a number of missing teeth. Then he said, "Now, Dumbledore's told me you four fancy yourselves as investigators, but there's nothing you can do for Crouch. The Ministry'll be looking for him now, Dumbledore's notified them. You two just keep your mind on the third task."

"What?" said Harry. "Oh yeah . . ."

"Should be right up your street, this one," said Moody, looking up at Harry and scratching his scarred and stubbly chin. "From what Dumbledore's said, you've managed to get through stuff like this plenty of times. Broke your way through a series of obstacles guarding the Sorcerer's Stone in your first year, didn't you?"

"We helped," Ron said quickly. "Me and Hermione helped." Moody grinned.

"And you Uzumaki trained to be an assassin, getting to your mark should be easy enough." Moody said unlike Harry and Ron, Naruto wasn't too pleased at the compliment.

Sirius sent their owl back the very next morning. It fluttered down beside Harry at the same moment that a tawny owl landed in front of Hermione, clutching a copy of the Daily Prophet in its beak. She took the newspaper, scanned the first few pages, said, "Ha! She hasn't got wind of Crouch!" then joined Ron and Harry in reading what Sirius had to say on the mysterious events of the night before last

"Who's he, to lecture me about being out-of-bounds?" said Harry in mild indignation as he folded up Sirius's letter and put it inside his robes. "After all the stuff he did at school!".

"He's worried about you!" said Hermione sharply. "Just like Moody and Hagrid! So listen to them!"

"Look," said Harry impatiently, "let's say Sirius is right, and someone Stunned Krum to kidnap Crouch. Well, they would've been in the trees near us, wouldn't they? But they waited till I was out of the way until they acted, didn't they? So it doesn't look like I'm their target, does it?"

"They couldn't have made it look like an accident if they'd murdered you in the forest!" said Hermione. "But if you die during a task —"

"Well that's why we need to train harder than ever." Naruto said excitedly and For the next few days they along with Luna spent all of their free time either in the library with Hermione and Ron, looking up hexes, or else in empty classrooms, which they sneaked into to practice.

The bell rang. They hastily shoved the cushions back into Flitwick's cupboard and slipped out of the classroom.

"See you at dinner!" said Hermione, and she set off for Arithmancy.

"See you later." Said Luna as she kissed Naruto goodbye and headed off to her Care of Magical Creatures Class.

"It's going to be boiling in Trelawney's room, she never puts out that fire," said Ron as they started up the staircase toward the silver ladder and the trapdoor. He was quite right. The dimly lit room was swelteringly hot. The fumes from the perfumed fire were heavier than ever. Harry's head swam as he made his way over to one of the curtained windows.

"My dears," said Professor Trelawney, sitting down in her winged armchair in front of the class and peering around at them all with her strangely enlarged eyes, "we have almost finished our work on planetary divination. Today, however, will be an excellent opportunity to examine the effects of Mars, for he is placed most interestingly at the present time. If you will all look this way, I will dim the lights. . . ."

She waved her wand and the lamps went out. The fire was the only source of light now. Professor Trelawney bent down and lifted, from under her chair, a miniature model of the solar system, contained within a glass dome. It was a beautiful thing; each of the moons glimmered in place around the nine planets and the fiery sun, all of them hanging in thin air beneath the glass.

"Harry's got the right idea." Naruto whispered to Ron as they looked over and watched Harry fall asleep. The lesson went on, but in all honesty, Naruto saw too hot to pay any attention to Trelawney. Just as he was starting to put his head down to fall asleep, Harry fell off his chair clutching his scar.

"Harry! Harry!"

He and Ron were kneeling next to him, looking terrified Harry opened his eyes. The whole class was standing around them.

"You all right?" Naruto said

"Of course he isn't!" said Professor Trelawney, looking thoroughly excited. Her great eyes loomed over Harry, gazing at him. "What was it, Potter? A premonition? An apparition? What did you see?"

"Nothing," Harry lied. He sat up. He could feel himself shaking. He couldn't stop himself from looking around, into the shadows behind him; Voldemort's voice had sounded so close. . . .

"You were clutching your scar!" said Professor Trelawney. "You were rolling on the floor, clutching your scar! Come now, Potter, I have experience in these matters!."

"I need to go to the hospital wing, I think," Harry said. "Bad headache."

"My dear, you were undoubtedly stimulated by the extraordinary clairvoyant vibrations of my room!" said Professor Trelawney "If you leave now, you may lose the opportunity to see further than you have ever —"

"I don't want to see anything except a headache cure," said Harry. He stood up. The class backed away. They all looked unnerved. "See you later," Harry muttered to Ron and Naruto, and he picked up his bag and headed for the trapdoor, ignoring Professor Trelawney who was wearing an expression of great frustration, as though she had just been denied a real treat.

"Should we call it an end to the lesson." Said Naruto looking around at everyone as he and Ron wondered what had just happed to Harry. Once the class was excused Naruto and Ron raced through the castle looking for Harry, along the way the ran in to Hermione and Luna once they saw that Harry wasn't at dinner.

"Where's Harry." Asked Hermione, quickly they told her what had happened as the all set off to find Harry. After twenty minutes they found him heading towars the Gryffindor common room.

"Harry are you alright?" asked Hermione "Where did you go."

"Not here." Harry said as hey led them into an empty classroom.

"Dumbledore reckons You-Know-Who's getting stronger again as well?" Ron said. Everything Harry had seen in the Pensieve, and what Dumbledore had told and shown him afterward, he has now shared with Him, Hermione, Ron, and Luna.

"And he trusts Snape?" Ron said. "He really trusts Snape, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"Maybe he had a change of heart." Said Luna. "Nargels have been know to scrabble one's brain."

Hermione had not spoken for ten minutes. She was sitting with her forehead in her hands, staring at her knees. Harry thought she too looked as though she could have done with a Pensieve.

"Rita Skeeter," she muttered finally.

"How can you be worrying about her now?" said Ron, in utter disbelief.

"I'm not worrying about her," Hermione said to her knees. "I'm just thinking . . . remember what she said to me in the Three Broomsticks? 'I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl.' This is what she meant, isn't it? She reported his trial, she knew he'd passed information to the Death Eaters. And Winky too, remember . . . 'Ludo Bagman's a bad wizard.' Mr. Crouch would have been furious he got off, he would have talked about it at home."

"Yeah, but Bagman didn't pass information on purpose, did he?" Hermione shrugged.

"And Fudge reckons Madame Maxime attacked Crouch?" Ron said, turning back to Harry.

"Yeah," said Harry, "but he's only saying that because Crouch disappeared near the Beauxbatons carriage."

"We never thought of her, did we?" said Ron slowly. "Mind you, she's definitely got giant blood, and she doesn't want to admit it —"

"Of course people tend to fear what they don't understand," said Luna dreamily,.

"Luna's right just look at what happened to Hagrid when Rita found out about his mother. Look at Fudge, jumping to conclusions about her, just because she's part giant. Who needs that sort of prejudice? I'd probably say I had big bones if I knew that's what I'd get for telling the truth." Said Hermione as she looked at her watch.

"We haven't done any practicing!" she said, looking shocked. "We were going to do the Impediment Curse! We'll have to really get down to it tomorrow! Come on, Harry, Naruto you need to get some sleep." As Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed towards the Gryffindor common room, Naruto walked Luna back to Ravenclaw tower.

They moved through the corridors hand-in-hand silently enjoying each other's company.

"Sorry if we haven't had a lot of time to spend together." Naruto said "With the tournament an everything that's been happening.

"It's alright Naruto." Said Luna giving his hand a light squeeze. "I understand this is who you are, just like Harry is The-Boy-How-Lived you're The-Boy-How-Fights."

"You know once this is all done, I'm really hoping next year will be normal, well as normal as life at Hogwarts can be." Naruto said smiling at her.

The mood in the castle as they entered June became excited and tense again. Everyone was looking forward to the third task, which would take place a week before the end of term. Naruto and Harry were practicing hexes at every available moment. Now more than ever Naruto was very glad he spent his summer training.

Tired of walking in on Harry, Hermione, and Ron all over the school, Professor McGonagall had given them permission to use the empty Transfiguration classroom at lunchtimes. As Harry practice a variety of jinxes and charms, Naruto was working on strengthening and gaining a better mastery over his own arsenal of spells. As June the twenty-fourth drew closer Naruto grow more excited as the third task grow closer. For one thing, he was confident that, this time, he had done everything in his power to prepare for the task.

Breakfast was a very noisy affair in the Great Hall on the morning of the third task. When the owl post appeared, it brought Naruto a good-luck card from Sirius. It was only a piece of parchment, folded over and bearing a muddy paw print on its front.

Exempt from the end-of-term test as a Triwizard champion, Naruto and Harry had been sitting in the back of every exam classroom. Harry stayed hard at work looking up fresh hexes for the third task, while Naruto decided to sleep. As the bell signaling the end of breakfast rang Naruto was stopped by Professor Snape.

"Uzumaki, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast." he said

"Why?" Naruto asked as he feed Yuna a piece of ham off his plate.

"The champions' families are invited to watch the final task."

"Great, how does that concern me." Naruto said, but Snape just walked off. "Wanker." As Naruto finished his breakfast in the emptying Great Hall. He saw Fleur Delacour get up from the Ravenclaw table Krum slouched off to join her shortly afterward. Harry stayed where he was that is till to his surprise Mrs. Weasley appeared from the chamber and called him over, but Harry stopped when he looked over at him.

"Don't worry I'll see you later." Naruto said as he sat there and was reminded of the painful truth he tried to ignore. That despite everything he was still alone.


	24. Chapter 24

Naruto had found himself wondering down to the Black Lake and resting under a tree he started to wonder what tonight would be like in the maze.

"You know if find that taking the time to sit and enjoy the beauty of nature can do wonders to the soul." Someone said looking round Naruto saw that it was Dumbledore what was walking over to him, but he wasn't alone as Naruto saw the large, shaggy black dog walking along side him.

"Albus, Sirius what are you doing here." Naruto said surprised "I was waiting in the champions chamber, but when you didn't arrive, I thought I could use some help in finding you." He said as dog-Sirius bounded forward and jumped on him. Watery eyed Naruto quickly turned away from them till he got a hold him himself. they spent the rest of the day walking around the school grounds Sirius walking happily between them as Albus told Naruto stories about his youth at Hogwarts.

"I do believe it's time to return to the Great Hall." Said Dumbledore as Sirius took off towards the school gates.

"thanks for coming Padfoot." Naruto said as he and the headmaster returned to the Great Hall for the evening feast. Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge had joined the staff table now. Bagman looked quite cheerful, but Cornelius Fudge, who was sitting next to Madame Maxime, looked stern and was not talking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now." Called out Dumbledore

As Naruto got up. They Slytherins all along the table were applauding him as the wished him good luck he headed off out of the Great Hall with Harry, Fleur, and Krum. He was stopped the Great Hall doors by Luna.

"Naruto good luck." Said Luna and in front of every he leand up to him and kissed him for all in the Great Hall to see. There were several cat-calls and wolf-whistles as the two broke apart.

"See you soon." Naruto told her with a big goofy grin on his face as he left to go catch up with the other champions.

They walked onto the Quidditch field, which was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.

Five minutes later, the stands had begun to fill; the air was full of excited voices and the rumbling of feet as the hundreds of students filed into their seats. The sky was a deep, clear blue now, and the first stars were starting to appear. Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick came walking into the stadium and approached Bagman and the champions. They were wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats, all except Hagrid, who had his on the back of his moleskin vest.

"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," said Professor McGonagall to the champions. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?" The champions nodded.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each — Mr. Harry Potter of Hogwarts school and Mr. Viktor Krum of Durmstrang Institute!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky "In second place, with eighty points — Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!" More applause. "And in third place — Mr. Naruto Uzumaki of Hogwarts school.

Harry could just make out Luna, Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione applauding, halfway up the stands. He waved up at them, and they waved back, beaming at him.

"So . . . on my whistle, Harry and Victor!" said Bagman. "Three — two — one —" He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Naruto watched the take into the maze

"Good luck Fleur" said Naruto

"You too, Na'uto."

"Alright Miss. Delacour, three — two — one —" another blast for the whistle and Fleur took off running.

"Mr. Uzumaki get ready now," Mr. Bagman said.

"_this is it."_ Naruto thought as he started to stretch his legs out a bit.

"three — two — one —" with the final Naruto took off into the Maze The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path, and, whether because they were so tall and thick or because they had been enchanted, the sound of the surrounding crowd was silenced the moment they entered the maze. He summoned his wand from his arm holster.

"_Lumos,"_

After about fifty yards he reached a fork, looking down at both directions he took the right and continued down Maze. His chosen path seemed completely deserted. He turned right, and hurried on, holding his wand out to light his way. The maze was growing darker with every passing minute as the sky overhead deepened to navy. He reached a second fork.

This time he took a left but suddenly as he rounded the corner, he met with fast to face with one of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts. Ten feet long, it looked more like a giant scorpion than anything. Its long sting was curled over its back. Its thick armor glinted in the light from Naruto's wand, which he pointed at it.

"_Stupefy!"_

The spell hit the skrewt's armor and rebounded; Naruto ducked just in time but could smell burning hair; it had singed the top of his head. The skrewt issued a blast of fire from its end and flew forward toward him.

"I don't have time for you." Naruto said impatiently as he put more focus and power into his next spell.

"_Cinnibus!"_

A slithering beam of bright orange and red light shoot forward from his wand and hit the Blast-Ended Skrewt. For a split second it looked as if night had gone and it was daytime, when the spell meets its mark the bright flash that followed was blinding. Regaining his eyesight Naruto say that not only was the Skrewt reduced to a pile of ash but several of the Maze walls were destroyed as well.

Naruto fell to the gone, panting heavily felling as if he had just sprinted a mile.

"Maybe – I – over – did – it – a – bit." He panted out as he tried to catch his breath. After a few minutes he was back on his feet and moving thought the Maze once again. Left . . . right . . . left again . . Twice he found himself facing dead ends. Backtracking he took a right turn, and saw an odd golden mist floating ahead of him. Harry approached it cautiously, pointing the wand's beam at it. This looked like some kind of enchantment. He wondered whether he might be able to blast it out of the way

"Pass." Naruto simply said as he backed away a few yards and braking into a dead sprint he ran up the edge of the golden mist and was able to jump clear over with ease. Just then the silence of the Maze was shattered by a loud scream

"Fleur?" Naruto yelled as he hurried forward, towards the direction of the scream. He paused at a junction of two paths and looked around for some sign of Fleur. What had she met? Was she all right? There was no sign of red sparks — did that mean she had got herself out of trouble, or was she in such trouble that she couldn't reach her wand?

"Fleur? Naruto yelled out once more He met nothing for ten minutes but kept running into dead ends. Twice he took the same wrong turning. Finally, he found a new route and started to jog along it, his wandlight waving, making his shadow flicker and distort on the hedge walls. Then he rounded another corner and found himself facing an unconscious Fleur.

"Fleur!" Naruto called out as he ran over to her and knelt at her side. She didn't look to be harm, but there was a clear sign of a bruise stating for from on her forehead.

"don't worry help is on the way." Said Naruto as he pointed his wand to the sky and fired off red sparks to signal the Professors patrolling the Maze. Moving done the path once more, now that he new Fleur would be alright he took a left path and hit a dead end, a right, hurrying along the new path for a few minutes, when he heard something in the path running parallel to his own that made him stop dead.

"What are you doing?" yelled Harry's voice and then Naruto heard Krum's voice.

"_Crucio!"_

"Harry!" Naruto yelled out as the air was suddenly full of Harry's yells. Horrified he quickly pointed his wand at the hedge

"_Reductor!"_

He blasted a clear wide opening in the hedge and jumping through it, he came face-to-face with Krum standing over jerking and twitching Harry who was spread eagle on the ground.

"_Stupefy!"_

Naruto's spell hit Krum right in the face; he stopped dead in his tracks, fell forward, and lay motionless, face down in the grass. Naruto dashed over to Harry, who had stopped twitching and was lying there panting, his hands over his face.

"Are you all right?" Naruto said roughly, grabbing Harry's arm.

"Yeah," panted Harry. "Yeah . . . I don't believe it . . . he crept up behind me. . . . I heard him, I turned around, and he had his wand on me. . . ." Herry got up. He was still shaking. He and Naruto looked down at Krum.

"I can't believe this . . . I thought he was all right," Harry said, staring at Krum.

"So did I," said Naruto.

"Did you hear Fleur scream earlier?" said Harry.

"Yeah," said Naruto. "I found her she had been attacked so I sent up red sparks?"

"Should we leave him here?" Naruto muttered.

"No," said Harry. "I reckon we should send up red sparks. Someone'll come and collect him . . . otherwise he'll probably be eaten by a skrewt."

"He'd deserve it," Naruto muttered, but all the same, he raised his wand and shot a shower of red sparks into the air, which hovered high above Krum, marking the spot where he lay.

Naruto and Harry stood there in the darkness for a moment, looking around them. Then Harry said, "Well . . . I s'pose we'd better go on . . . ."

"Oh . . . yeah . . . right . . ." said Naruto, the two of them proceeded up the dark path without speaking, then Harry turned left, and Naruto right

'Harry." Naruto called out before he lost sight of his friend to the Maze." If you're in trouble or something send up green sparks" and with that, he moved down his bath. Turning the corner, he ran right in to a small bog.

"Okay, this is different." Naruto said to himself as he started to slowly trudge thought the muddy waters. All around there was a thick fog that made it impossible for him to see more than a few feet in front of him. All around him Naruto saw several floating lights not too far off.

"Right, just keep straight." Naruto told himself as he held his wand up high and moved pass the Hinkypunks all around him. after five minutes of slow work he had finally reached the end of the bog. Moving down a left path he suddenly saw a light up ahead. The Triwizard Cup was gleaming on a plinth a hundred yards away. He ran for it.

"Naruto!" Harry bellowed. "On your left!" he looked around just in time to see what Harry had warned him about and hurled himself past the thing. avoid colliding with it, but in his haste, he tripped. And his wand went flying out of his hand as a gigantic spider stepped into the path and began to bear down upon him

_. "Stupefy!" _

Harry yelled; the spell hit the spider's gigantic, hairy black body, but for all the good it did, he might as well have thrown a stone at it; the spider jerked, scuttled around, and ran at Harry instead. Turning round Naruto saw his wand only a few yards way reaching his hand out called out

"_Accio Wand." _

As it rushed back to him Naruto was able to catch it and quickly turning around he pointed it at the spider.

"_Stupefy!" _

His spell didn't hae as much affect but then Harry fired of another at the spider.

"_Expelliarmus!" _

It worked — the Disarming Spell made the spider drop him, but that meant that Harry fell twelve feet. Naruto watched as he rolled under the spiders underbelly pointing his wand at the same he and Harry fired off the same spell.

"_Stupefy!"_

The two spells combined did what one alone had not: The spider keeled over sideways, flattening a nearby hedge, and strewing the path with a tangle of hairy legs.

"Harry!" Naruto shouting as he ran over to his friend. "You all right? Did it fall on you?"

"No," Harry called back, panting. He looked down at his leg. It was bleeding freely. He could see some sort of thick, gluey secretion from the spider's pincers on his torn robes. He tried to get up, but his leg was shaking badly and did not want to support his weight. He leaned against the hedge, gasping for breath, and looked around.

"here." Said Naruto as he tore off a strip of his robes and tied it around Harry's bleeding leg.

"Take it, then," Harry panted as he pointed at the Triwizard Cup. "Go on, take it. You're there."

"Both of us," Naruto said.

"What?"

"We'll take it at the same time. It's still a Hogwarts victory. We'll tie for it." Naruto stared at Harry. Smiling a big goofy grin at him.

"You — you sure?"

"Yeah," said Naruto. "Yeah . . . we've helped each other out, haven't we? We both got here. Let's just take it together." For a moment, Harry looked as though he couldn't believe his ears; then his face split in a grin.

"You're on," Harry said.

"Come here." Naruto grabbed Harry's arm below the shoulder and helped him limp toward the plinth where the cup stood. When they had reached it, they both held a handout over one of the cup's gleaming handles.

"On three, right?" said Harry. "One — two — three —" Naruto and Harry both grasped a handle. Instantly, Naruto felt a jerk somewhere behind his navel. His feet had left the ground. He could not unclench the hand holding the Triwizard Cup; it was pulling him onward in a howl of wind and swirling color, Harry at his side.


	25. Chapter 25

Naruto felt his feet slam into the ground, and he fell forward his hand letting go of the Triwizard Cup at last, he raised he head looking around.

"Harry, where are we?" he said as he shock his head getting up he pulled Harry to his feet, and the looked around.

They had left the Hogwarts grounds completely; they had obviously traveled miles — perhaps hundreds of miles — for even the mountains surrounding the castle were gone. They were standing instead in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to their right. A hill rose above them to their left. Naruto could just make out the outline of a fine old house on the hillside

"I've got a bad felling about this." Naruto said ominously and harry moved along the graves.

"Did anyone tell you the cup was a Portkey?" Harry asked.

"Nope," said Harry. He was looking around the graveyard. It was completely silent and slightly eerie. "Is this supposed to be part of the task?"

"I dunno," said Naruto. He sounded slightly nervous. "Wands out, d'you reckon?"

"Yeah," said Harry, glad that Cedric had made the suggestion rather than him. They pulled out their wands. Harry kept looking around him. He had, yet again, the strange feeling that they were being watched.

"Someone's coming," he said suddenly. Squinting tensely through the darkness, they watched the figure drawing nearer, walking steadily toward them between the graves. Naruto and Harry couldn't make out a face, but from the way it was walking and holding its arms, he could tell that it was carrying something. Whoever it was, he was short, and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over his head to obscure his face. And — several paces nearer, the gap between them closing all the time — Naruto saw that the thing in the person's arms looked like a baby . . . or was it merely a bundle of robes?

Harry lowered his wand slightly and glanced sideways at Naruto. he shot him a quizzical look. They both turned back to watch the approaching figure. It stopped beside a towering marble headstone, only six feet from them. For a second, Harry and Cedric and the short figure simply looked at one another.

Then without warning Harry knees buckled as he fell to the ground clutching at his scar in pain as he screamed.

"Harry, what the matter." Naruto called out as he tried to get his friend to get up off the ground. From far away, above his head, he heard a high, cold voice say,

"_**Kill the spare."**_

A swishing noise and a second voice, which screeched the words to the night:

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

A blast of green light blazed through the air, that by the time Naruto looked up he was hit square in the chest by the killing curse. It was strange really, dying he always thought it would be painful, but this wasn't so bad, now. Like a warm breeze rushing past you. Naruto Uzumaki fell flat on his back dead in the graveyard, a small smile on his face as his lifeless eyes looked to the night sky.


	26. Chapter 26

When Naruto woke up the first thing, he noticed was that he was no long outside but instead in what looked like an underground sewer. There were several large pipes running overhead and he was standing in ankle deep water.

"Hello!" Naruto called out as he looked around trying to figure out where he was "Harry, hey where are you." The was no answer just the echoing of his own voice, he looked up and down the dark tunnels wondering which way to go.

_**LOOK HOW FINALLY DESIDES TO SHOW HIMSELF**_

"how said that!" Naruto called out, it had been sometime, but he still remembered the dark, sinister that had been talking with him for some time.

_**DON'T PLAY THE INECENTS WITH ME**_

"where are you." Naruto called out.

_**FOLLOW THE COLD SHIVER RUNNING DOWN YOUR SPINE**_

Moving down the dark path Naruto walked silently down the flooded path, with each step that he took could feel the air grow thick with a heavy energy. _"this feeling it's like that dark red energy."_ Naruto thought to himself.

_**IM RIGHT HERE**_

Turning around Naruto came to and opening and stepping forward he saw a massive steel gate that reached high into the ceiling. Moving close and closer to the gate Naruto spotted a massive dark more moving around on the other side.

"What is this?" Naruto said as he came to a stop just a few feet from the gate.

_**COME CLOSER LITTLE BOY**_

Just then four massive razor-sharp claws, easily longer then his whole body slipped through the gaps in the gates bars and almost sliced him to pieces.

_** HOW WONDERFUL IT WOULD BE TO KILL AND EAT YOU, BUT THIS ACCURSED GATE CONFINES ME.**_

"W-what are you?" Naruto said as the room was suddenly lit by the glowing red energy coming from the other side of the gate and Naruto got a look at what was behind it. He couldn't really make out the shape of its head or body, but he could clearly see its massive blood red eyes and a giant mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.

_**WHAT'S THE MATTER HAVEN'T YOU EVER SEEN THE NINE TAILED FOX, I KILLED THE FOURTH HOKAGE AND HIS WIFE AND DESTROYED HALF OF THE HIDDEN LEAF VILLAGE, YOU WOULD THINK PEOPLE WOULD REMEMBER WHAT I LOOKED LIKE **_

"How is this possible." Naruto couldn't believe what was happening to him. "why am I here? Why are you here?" Naruto was so confused why was the nine tailed fox here wasn't it supposed to have been destroyed.

_**I WAS SEALED INSIDE OF YOU AND WE ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU ARE WEEK AND GOT YOURSELF KILLED **_

And that was when Naruto remembered he had been inside of the graveyard with Harry and the then he was hit with killing curse. _"the evil voice he had been hearing all year and the dark red energy must have been from the fox."_ Naruto thought.

"Look here you stupid fox I not planning on dying any time soon so why don't you tell me how to get out of this place." Naruto said as he looked up at the massive fox unflinchingly, at his response the Nine tailed fox gave a large booming laugh that shook the chamber.

_** WELL I SUPPOSE I CAN'T HAVE YOU DYING ON ME, AFTER ALL IF YOU DIE SO WOULD I SO TAKE THIS CHAKRA AND BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT YOU WEEK HUMAN.**_

Looking at the gate Naruto saw a large wave of bubbling blood red energy rushing towards him. he tried to back away, but it was upon him before he could take a single step. As is started to work its way up his body he started to scream in agony, his whole body felt like it was burning from the inside out. Soon the chamber was filled with the sound of his blood curdling screams and the Nine tailed fox's mad laughter.

With another great scream of pain, he was thrown out of his mind and found himself back in the graveyard. His body was burning from the Nine-Tails' chakra as it began to burn its way through his entire body, completely destroying his skin while it also rapidly healing it at the same time. As he screamed and clawed at the ground Naruto's body was eventually covered in a mix between the Nine-Tails' chakra and his own blood. As four long tails whipped behind him, easily smashing the tombstones they hit. His eyes where no longer blue but had become empty glowing circles, surrounded by a black mask of chakra.

All around him he could see dark figures hooded and cloak, but he could make out anything clearly. He was just as mass of rage and all he wanted to do was kill with as loud roar he sent out a shock wave of dark chakra that blasted everything way from him. suddenly he was hit by a spell then another and another. With another loud roar of rage, he leaped forward ready to kill.

"Stun only, I what him alive." Called out a high shrill voice and.

More and more spells started to rock his body as he the hooded figures disappeared before he could get close to any of them.

"Alive I said, alive"

Soon Naruto was feeling his body start to weekend but with one last attempt, he was able to get his hands on one of them. whoever it was they started to scream in agony the second he touched them. not long after that he let of and fell back to the ground as the Nine-Tails' chakra returning back into his body and his skin started to grow back.

"Nott, get Crabb to a healer."

All around him Naruto could make out voiced moving all around him. Finally, Naruto was starting to feel like himself, but before he could get a chance to do anything, he felt arms forcefully lift him up off the ground and drag him somewhere. Soon he was dropped hard on the ground at the foot of some one's robes. Looking up Naruto saw it was a tall, thin man his face was whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils

"Lord Voldemort" Naruto said as he came face-to-face with the dark lord.

"Naruto Uzumaki" Said Lord Voldemort, "How I have wanted to meet you all of you leave us, not you Severus your loyalties have yet to be proven."

Looking around the graveyard Naruto saw wizards all of them were hooded and masked the Death Eaters had begun to disappeared form till only Naruto, Voldemort and Snape were left.

"My loyal servant at Hogwarts has told me. . . a great deal about you." Voldemort said "A great magical talent. . . even dark magic. . . able to kill a fully-grown dragon single handedly. . . yet you count mudbloods and Harry Potter among your friends. . . have you no Slytherin pride" Voldemort said once more as he fixed Naruto with hard look and like when Moody tried to place him under the Imperius he cold fell a strange pressure pushing at his mind.

"Just trying to follow in the footsteps of the greatest wizard who ever lived." Naruto said smirking "but no one will ever come close to Merlin the greatest Slytherin of all time." Said Naruto as he was able to push dark lord out of his mind. This caused Voldemort to fly into a rage.

"_Crucio!"_ It was pain beyond anything Naruto had ever experienced; his very bones were on fire; his head was surely splitting along his scar; his eyes were rolling madly in his head; he wanted it to end . . . toblack out . . . to die . .

"Tell me how you survived Wormtail's cures."

"That for me to know and you to never find out." Naruto panting, he tried to catch his breath.

"_Crucio!"_ The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that he no longer knew where he was. . . . White-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain, he was screaming more loudly than he'd ever screamed in his life — once again Naruto felt the pull on his mind as but like before he was able to push it way.

"What dark power do you possess." Voldemort asked as he raised his wand ready to cast the Crucio once more.

"My lord Voldemort Uzumaki it unlike any wizard." Said Snape as he started to tell Voldemort everything, he had learned about him from Dumbledore. "He believes the boys Dark powers have something that has to do with his original home and are triggered by heighten emotional stress."

"Such a talent for death should be locked away in a castle." Voldemort said as a cruel smile crossed his face. "But he must first deal with you Severus, though I understand your reasoning for fleeing to Dumbledore's side. You must show me how loyal you are to your master."

"Severus torture the boy." Voldemort said, "Without your wand." For a slit second look passed over Snape's face before he steeled himself and walking over to Naruto and taking pulling him by the scruff of his robes he balled his hand in to a fist and drew it back.

"Try not to enjoy this too much Death Eater scum." Naruto said as Snape started to rain punches down upon his face. After the first few minutes Naruto was spotting a busted lip, after five minutes his nose had been broken, after ten the whole let side of his face was a bloody, swollen mass of purple and black skin. The entire time Voldemort watched on silently as Snape never let up on the force of his blows.

"that will do Severus." Said Voldemort, Snape let go of Naruto who fell back down to the ground. spitting up blood Naruto looked up them with his one good eye.

"If your going to kill me just do it already." Naruto said

"Oh, no my young friend." Said Voldemort. " I have a much better use for you. . . Albus Dumbledore always think the power of love is the greatest form of magic. . . so let us put this to the test." He pulled out his wand and started to run it along the inside of his forearm.

"Severus, hold out the boy's arm." Snape hesitated for a moment, but then did as he was told and sized Naruto arm and presented to the Dark Lord. Naruto screamed in pain as the tip of Voldemort's wand touched his left forearm burned his skin. Voldemort waited for Naruto to stop his screaming before he continues to talk.

"Now then Naruto Uzumaki, you will become with time one of my deadliest followers, you will spy for my, you will kill for me and if need be you will die for me." Voldemort said coolly.

"Are you insane why would I want to help you." Naruto said as he clutched his forearm that was still in pain. looking down Naruto the dark mark clear as day on his forearm.

"Because you wouldn't want anything to happen to poor Luna Lovegood, her father perhaps, or maybe a few dozen muggles being killed will persuade you." Voldemort said Naruto wanted protest but was unable to do so. "I've been told that much like Harry Potter you like playing the hero, So. . . Naruto what are you willing to do for Love, what are you willing to do to keep Miss. Lovegood alive.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Naruto shouted his rage building again, he could take the pain but not Luna he couldn't stand the thought of Luna being hurt.

"_Crucio!"_

"You dear to order The Dark Lord." Voldemort said as Naruto screams of pain filled the night sky. Naruto fell into a silent panic as he tried to think of something to do anything to keep Luna safe.

"Uzumaki, If you loved Luna Lovegood, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear." Said Snape as he echoed the words Albus Dumbledore once told him."

"Don't be a fool Naruto Uzumaki. . . or you will lose everything. . . Lord Voldemort dose not show such mercy." Voldemort said and looking but at both men and back down to his Dark Mark he could see a way out of this.

"Fine." Naruto said as he looked to the ground in defeat. "for Luna."

"Young love. . . "Voldemort said sarcastically. "Severus get the boy back to Hogwarts and start his education in the proper ways of the Death Eater. Teach him apparition and the Unforgivables." Said the dark Lord before he turned to face Naruto once more.

"I have a task you my newest Death Eater, Albus Dumbledore will be suspicious of any former Death eaters after tonight, but not you. . . no you will be my wolf among his sheep. . . you will keep an eye on Dumbledore and Harry Potter. . . there was no graveyard you were stunned by Harry Potter and Severus Snape being the watchful head of Slytherin house retuned to the Maze and found you."

"Yes, my Lord Voldemort." Said Snape as he bowed low to the ground and then turned to look at Naruto

"Yes. . . My-my. . . Lord Voldemort." Naruto finally said through gritted teeth and with a flash of his black robes Voldemort was gone only leaving Naruto and Snape in the graveyard.

"Get up, boy we need to return to the headmaster." Said Snape as he reached an arm out to lift Naruto up off the ground.

"Don't touch me." Said Naruto as he wrenched his arm way form the older man. he was angry, he felt sick to him stomach and above all else week, just like the little boy who used to cry out for his mother and father all those years ago in the hidden leaf village. Finally, after a moment he was able to stand on his own two feet.

"Let's go." He said and as Severus grabbed hold of his arm, they too disappeared form the graveyard.


	27. Chapter 27

' When his feet hit sold ground Naruto looked around expecting to be back in the Maze or at the very least outside the gates of Hogwarts castle. However, the found himself and Snape inside a small sitting room he had never seen before.

"Where are we now?" Naruto asked as he looked around confused wondering where he was.

_"Incendio!" _

"this way boy." Said Snape as he put his wand away and pulling him to the small fireplace in the corner of the room. He reached into a small box set atop the mantle and through a hand full of black powder into the fire.

"Hogwarts School Albus Dumbledore's Office." When the fire erupted in the large green flames, he realized that Snape was going to floo them back to the school. Stepping in to the flames Naruto felt his body beginning to spin as he was swept through and a second later he found himself in the headmasters office.

"Severs how did it – Naruto. . . Naruto my boy but how Harry said he saw you get hit with the killing cures. Severs what has happened how is this possible?" Dumbledore stood form his seat and walked around his desk and seized Naruto by the shoulders.

"Albus you look like hell." Said Naruto with a small chuckle as he looked up at the tired looking headmaster.

"Headmaster the situation is far worse than you realize." Said Snape as he moved Naruto in the one of the chairs in front of the headmaster's desk.

"Severus tell me everything."

"I was able to convince the Dark Lord I have returned his faithful servant ready to spy for him, then Uzumaki came back form the dead as some kind of strange creature of energy." As Snape talked Naruto could hear the Nine-tailed fox laughing in the back of his mind.

"headmaster he has given Uzumaki the Dark Mark and has ordered me to train him to become an adequate Death Eater and spy for him as well, or the life of Miss. Lovegood and her father are forfeit." Snape finished saying lifted Naruto's arm and pulled back the sleeve of his robes for the second time that night and showed Dumbledore the still fresh Dark Mark.

"I have no chose Albus." Said Naruto he pulled his sleeve down.

"My boy, I know you it feels that way. . ."

"No Albus, it has to be this way, I'm not going to become his lapdog, but I won't run off and hide somewhere and let people die in my place. . . besides he can't control me even if he tried." Naruto said as he explained what had happened when he felt Voldemort try to enter his mind.

"Headmaster could it be possible?" Snape asked as he looked a bit skeptical at the blond.

"It has never need heard of before, Naruto if you are willing, I would like to check something." Dumbledore said

"Um, sure what do I need to do?" Naruto asked wondering what was going on now.

"All you would have to do is just look me in the eyes." And doing as he was told Naruto once again for the second time that night felt a pressure on his find but not as painful

"Severus is would appear that Naruto is indeed immune to Legilimency." Snape looked astonished

"Legilimency?" Naruto asked looking confused.

"Legilimency is the act of magically navigating through the many layers of a person's mind and correctly interpreting one's findings. A person who practices this art is known as a Legilimens. Muggles might call this "mind-reading," said Dumbledore

"How it this possible." Snape asked

"I think I know. . . it starts after I died." And Naruto as he started to explain what had happened to him and the things, he had seen the moment he woke up in his mind scape.

"Even the Dark Lard don't have the power to stand against up against a demon." Said Snape once Naruto was finished with his story.

"Be that as it may, Naruto you are a boy I can not ask this of you." Dumbledore said.

"Then it's a good thing I'm not asking for your permission, the war was as begun, and I intend to fight it." Naruto said determinedly. "Besides if Voldemort can't read my mind tricking him will be easy."

"Albus, Voldemort said he had a servant here at the school." Naruto said suddenly remembering that the Dark Lord had told him. "Harry, we have to find him."

"My boy calm yourself." Said Dumbledore, "Harry is at the moment in the Hospital Wing recovering from his ordeal at the graveyard and s for the Voldemort's servant he has been captured." At this news Naruto let out a sigh of relief and quickly the headmaster explained everything that happened after Harry returned to the school and before he returned.

"So Fleur and Krum are alright then." Naruto said with a sigh of relief.

"Naruto have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight. You have shown bravery equal to those who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers. You have shouldered a grown wizard's burden and found yourself equal to it — and you have now given us all that we have a right to expect. You will come with me to the hospital wing. I do not want you returning to the dormitory tonight." Said Dumbledore and Naruto was glad to be able to get some rest.

"Wait, Severus." Naruto called stopping his head of house form leaving the office." I'll be at your office in the morning, so we can start training." Snape only looked to Dumbledore before nodding and leaving the office.

Naruto and Dumbledore out of the office, accompanying them down a flight of stairs to the Hospital Wing. When Dumbledore pushed open the door, Naruto saw Mrs. Weasley holding Luna as Ron, Hermione siting around the bed of a sleeping Harry. All of them whipped around as Naruto and Dumbledore entered and Luna let out a kind of muffled scream.

"Naruto! Your alive!" she quickly let go of Mrs. Weasley and rushed over to him and through her arms around his neck and clutched on to him with such force he was almost thrown back. She was a mess her hair more disheveled than normal and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Luna!" Naruto called out as he grabbed on to her for dear life. Never had he been so happy than at this moment to know see was alright. He had no memory of ever being cared for so much like this, she was crying for him. The full weight of everything he had seen that night seemed to fall in upon him as Luna held him to her. Meeting the Nine-tails, becoming a demon, the Dark Lords torture. The thought of everyone he loved and cared for dead. Until he was screwing up his face against the howl of misery fighting to get out of him.

"Naruto, I love you." Luna said as she continued to hold on to him tight and at that moment Naruto did something, he promised himself he would never do again. he cried his knees buckled and he fell to the floor, but Luna never let him go, he just followed him to the ground and let him unload his burden on to her. Soon he felt more hand on him and looking up Naruto saw that it was Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Hermione were now embracing him too.

After a few minutes he was moved from the floor and given a set of Hospital robes, once he had changed, he was placed in a bed and now had a chance to talk with is friends while Dumbledore and Mrs. Weasley talked.

"Bloody hell, mate what happened Harry said. . . he said you were dead. . . he saw you getting hit by the killing curse." Ron said in a low voice

"I did. . .well not permanently. . . but I'm back now." Naruto said as he squeezed Luna's had as she when she let a small cry as Ron fell silent, and Hermione covered her mouth in shock.

"Oh, Naruto but how no can survive the killing cures." Hermione said

"Well not everyone." Said Naruto as he looked over to the sleeping Harry. "what ever happened I'm just glad to be back now." Naruto finished.

Just then Madam Pomfrey, who had bustled off to her office, returned holding a small bottle of some purple potion and a goblet. "You'll need to drink all of this, Naruto," she said. "It's a potion for dreamless sleep."

"Don't worry you guys everything will be fine now." Naruto aside as he looked around at his friends before stopping to look at Luna. "I promise to protect you." Said Naruto as he took the goblet and drank a few mouthfuls.

He felt himself becoming drowsy at once. Everything around him became hazy; the lamps around the Hospital Wing seemed to be winking at him in a friendly way through the screen around his bed; his body felt as though it was sinking deeper into the warmth of the feather mattress. Before he could finish the potion, before he could say another word, his exhaustion had carried him off to sleep.

Waking up worm and felling very refreshed Naruto slowly sat up and looked around the still dark room. From the look of the sky outside of the winding Naruto saw that the sun was starting to rise. All around him saw Ron, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley all sleeping around Harry and next to his bed was Luna, he couldn't help but smile at how peaceful she looked asleep in the chair next to his bed her head resting on the mattress.

"I won't let _him _hurt you." Naruto said determinedly as he slowly crept out of bed and gathering his robes he quickly got dressed. He was almost out of the Hospital Wing when he was stopped by a soft voice in the stillness of the morning.

"Naruto, where are you going." Luna asked as he slowly got up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Luna. . . I have to go see professor Snape. . . I have to start training." Naruto said just above a whisper his hand on the Hospital Wing door.

"Training, but why the tournament is over." Luan said as she stepped closer to him. "That's not it. . . your planning to fight the Dark Lord. . . aren't you." She finished saying once realization hit her.

"I have to do this Luna. . . please understand. . . I have to keep everyone safe." Naruto said as he turned to look at her.

"I know." Luna said as she closed the distance between them. "I couldn't love you any other way. . . Just try not to get too hurt." Luna finally said and looking up at him. Looking down at her dreamy face Naruto never noticed till how that he had slowly over the year he had grown taller than her.

"I promise, I won't get too hurt." Naruto told her as he leand in and gave her a kiss on the lips, only this time Luna depend it more and he could feel the love she had for him. Leaving the Hospital wing Naruto moved through the empty castle and quickly made his way down the dungeons and straight to Snape's office. He only had to knock once before Snape called out to him.

"Enter."

Stepping into the small room Naruto found his head of house standing behind his desk.

"Uzumaki, are you ready to begin." Snape said, "Once we start there will be no turning back."

"I'm ready." Said Naruto as he closed the door to the office, ready to do whatever it takes to stop Voldemort for hutting his precious people.

A.N.

Well I hope you all enjoyed book two if Naruto's adventures in the wizarding world, I'm beginning to start work on book three which will have longer chapters then this story.

Also, for those who are wondering the majority of the spells in my story are from the Harry Potter and fantastic beast books and Movies. Some I made up using the Latin translation for a phrase and leaving out a few letters, and some where the spells used by Doctor Strange in Avengers Infinity War.

Is your worried that Naruto will is going to be manipulated in to becoming a killer in the next book just remember Naruto Uzumaki is never to me underestimated and his determination is nothing short of pure stubbornness.


	28. Chapter 28

Follow Naruto as he is forced to walk the line between light and the dark as Death Eater and Order of the Phoenix member in. Naruto and the staff of wonder and ruin 3. Up now.


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